by Piro Rexhepi
Trump justifies his own clampdown by painting a picture of a Europe overrun with Muslim refugees, raping white women and committing terrorist acts. Yet Europe wrote the book on demonising Muslim refugees. Last week Bild, Germany’s largest newspaper, had to apologise for false reports that refugees had raped German women in Frankfurt; the rightwing British press stokes fears of refugees on a daily basis. We’re told that Trump is uniquely hardline in his anti-Muslim rhetoric. In fact, Europe’s long-standing draconian attitudes towards refugees and Muslims have helped to legitimise his approach.