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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 11, No. 7
Publication Date: July 25, 2024
DOI:10.14738/assrj.117.17290.
Steinmetz, C. H. D. (2024). Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism with Roots in (Neo)Colonization. Advances in Social Sciences
Research Journal, 11(7). 109-145.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism with Roots in
(Neo)Colonization
Carl H. D. Steinmetz
ABSTRACT
Many Western countries and their citizens react to right-wing extremism as if it
were a coup against the democratic rule of law. This article explores the reasons for
this. It does so as follow. First, by outlining what is meant by right-wing extremism.
But also, by addressing the theories that right-wing extremists use to support their
ideology of destruction and subversion. Second, this article examines the numbers
of right-wing extremists in Europe and in the European Parliament. In this
European Parliament, right-wing extremists have become a party that cannot be
ignored. In fact, even Hungary's far-right prime minister, Viktor Orbán, is now
taking over the EU presidency for six months. Third, this article addresses the threat
of right-wing extremist terrorism. This is done on the basis of a number of states
that oppress citizens in their own and neighboring countries, invoking the adage:
"one's own country and one's own people come first. Russia and Israel are the two
countries most often mentioned. Attention is also paid to individual Western far- right terrorists who target Muslims, sub-Saharan Africans, and the "leftist" elite.
Their far-right ideology is strongly discussed in this article. Fourth, we test the
hypothesis that the ancestors of right-wing extremists had their first experiences
with dismissing the other as inferior and inferior in the former Western colonies.
In doing so, we do not close our eyes to neocolonial behavior. The elaboration of
this hypothesis is that they treat immigrants, refugees and expatriates in the same
way as their ancestors did in the former colonies on the African, Asian and American
continents. Isolation, exploitation, enslavement, plundering, looting and torture, as
well as genocidal wars, were the order of the day. Epigenetics shows that the
distinction between genotype and phenotype is based on genotypic changes due to
phenotypic conditions. In short, poor living conditions due to institutional racism,
stress, pollution, overcrowding and deprivation lead to negative genetic changes.
The victims of epigenetic transformation are mainly immigrants, refugees and
expatriates in Western countries and the original populations in the former
Western colonies. Finally, this article shows that it is a significant number of
immigrants, refugees, and expatriates who are told by right-wing extremists that
they are not welcome in their continent, country, province, neighborhood, and
street. With God's evidence, this article shows that human beings were not created
to fight each other with fire and sword.
Keywords: Right-wing extremism, European Elections, Terrorisme, (Neo)colonization,
Epigenetics
INTRODUCTION
Until recently, the focus in Europe has been on jihadism (waging a "holy war") and terrorist
attacks. This so-called nexus was fueled by the European exodus to Syria. Politicians were at
their wit's end. The supposed causes of jihadism and terrorist attacks, such as the lack of a safe
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educational climate in schools and social institutions due to everyday and institutional racism,
turned out to be only tentatively true. The same is true of a possible link to psychiatric disorders
(Steinmetz, 2021, B).
An inconclusive application of preventing a terrorist attack in the Netherlands was the
approach to the extended family of women because the narrative for the terrorist was that of a
top 600 criminal (Steinmetz, 2021, A). The top 600 criminals were supported by an approach
that was ineffective (Beijersbergen et al. 2023).
Meanwhile, the focus has shifted to right-wing extremism and the breakdown of the rule of law.
Famous examples include the Trump supporters who attempted to occupy the Capitol in the
United States on January 6, 20211, and the German AfD2, which wants to turn Germany into an
authoritarian state similar to the Russian model.
“On the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress was meeting to certify the results of
the 2020 presidential election, a violent and heavily armed mob of supporters of
outgoing President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol. While lawmakers and
staff were shepherded to secure locations or barricaded behind doors, the rioters
pushed past severely outnumbered Capitol Police officers, breaking windows and
vandalizing offices, many with disturbingly violent intentions toward members of
Congress and Vice President Mike Pence for their having refused to succumb to
Trump’s attempts to overturn the election in his favor. Five people were killed,
including one Capitol Police officer who was beaten by rioters (American Oversight,
September 26, 2023, see note 1).”
Figure 1: Trump All Dares His Supporters to Attack the US Capitol Again
(source: https://ap.lc/AzemA)
1 https://www.americanoversight.org/investigation/the-january-6-attack-on-the-u-s-capitol
2 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/17/afd-plans-to-turn-germany-into-authoritarian-state-vice- chancellor-warns
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Steinmetz, C. H. D. (2024). Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism with Roots in (Neo)Colonization. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal,
11(7). 109-145.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.117.17290
Europe also takes a sharp turn toward right-wing extremism in 2024, in line with the
development outlined above.
“Violent right-wing extremism (VRWE) are acts of individuals or groups who use,
incite, threaten with, legitimize or support violence and hatred to further their
political or ideological goals, motivated by ideologies based on the rejection of
democratic order and values as well as of fundamental rights, and centered on
exclusionary nationalism, racism, xenophobia and/or related intolerance (EU,
2021).”
A major Western right-wing ideology is the so-called repopulation theory.
"At a symposium for the volume The Politics of Replacement, edited by University of
Amsterdam scholar Sarah Bracke (2023), the term was defined as follows:
"Repopulation theory is the idea that one's 'own' (white) people and one's 'own'
(white) culture are being displaced by those who are considered 'foreign'.
Proponents of population theory believe that there is a plan to replace the white
population of Europe with non-Western migrants and refugees, and that this is
being systematically organized by so-called 'elites (Funnekoter, 2024)'".
To undo the fertility of people of color in U.S. states with many Afro-Americans undetected, the
well-known Netflix film "The Designated Survivor3" dismantles a terrorist attack by a South
African white man using a bioweapon.
In public debate, but also among scholars, right-wing extremism is often associated
with behavioral characteristics, such as politically motivated violence. The concept
right-wing extremism applies to parties, movements, websites, and individual
activists and intellectuals. Arguably, (neo)Nazism and (neo)fascism are the two
most prominent forms of right-wing extremism. Some scholars argue that the more
recent counter-jihad movement is right-wing extremist. The term is controversial,
partly because very few political parties, groups, or activists use it to describe their
own position, and partly because it is associated with attitudes and actions that are
either illegal and/or highly stigmatized (Jupskås, et al. 2023)”
Right-wing extremism is back on the scene.
“What is most striking is that far-right voters across Europe are united by one issue:
immigration. Their opposition to immigration distinguishes them from other voters
in every European country. In virtually every European country, far-right voters are
more likely to say that immigration is bad for the economy and that immigrants
make their country a worse place to live. "Opinion on migration is the most
important predictor of voting for the far right," said Matthijs Rooduijn, associate
professor of political science at the University of Amsterdam (NRC, Loon, van et al.
20244)”.
3 https://www.netflix.com/watch/80133832?trackId=255824129
4 https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2024/05/31/rechts-lijkt-steeds-meer-op-gemiddeld-a4200592
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“Worries about polarization are on the rise. In today's Europe, one of the most
manifest gaps is the education divide over immigration. Where lower educated
citizens tend to be negative about immigration, higher educated individuals are
generally positive. Yet the magnitude of this education divide strongly differs
between countries. What explains these differences? I theorize that when the levels
of socioeconomic security are high, in particular less well-educated citizens will be
more likely to focus on issues with a strong cultural component, like immigration,
and therefore hold more radical opinions. As a result, existing divides will be more
pronounced. Analyzing 23 countries between 2002 and 2018, I show that social
welfare spending fuels the education divide over immigration. I demonstrate that,
indeed, it does so by affecting the immigration attitudes of the less well educated—
not those of the better educated (Rooduijn, 2024).
This article speculates on the possible links between the political extreme right-wing, terrorism
and (neo)colonization. The link between political extreme right-wing and terrorism has been
sociologically proven many times. However, this link is nothing more than a correlation
between two domains, namely right-wing extremism and terrorism (committing terrorist acts).
From a (social) psychological point of view, this correlation has not yet been proven to be
causal. For then the following questions must be answered: "Why does someone decide to
commit terrorist acts? Does every right-wing extremist do so (Sizoo, 2024)? Less researched is
the relationship between right-wing extremism and (neo-)colonization. So far, the possible
links are indirect. For this article, we hypothesize that the ancestors of members of the far-right
community are more rooted than other communities in plundering, stealing, conquering,
committing genocide, torturing, and occupying countries they call colonies. To prove this
hypothesis, we would have to resort to epigenetics (Steinmetz, 2021 C). That our hypothesis is
plausible we infer from the position taken by the extreme right-wing, namely that people of
color (and therefore immigrants, refugees and expatriates) are seen by them as second-class
citizens, inferior and not part of their "own people".
DATA ON EXTREME RIGHT-WING PARTIES IN EUROPE
Below is a table (based on Google website results) showing the percentage of votes received by
far-right parties in the most recent national parliamentary elections in each country of the
European Union, with the main characteristics: nationalism, anti-immigration, and
Euroscepticism.
Country Far-Right Wing Party Percentage of
Votes
Election
Year
Total Population Election Year
(millions) and Total Right-wing
voters in millions
Italy Brothers of Italy (FdI) 26,0 2022 58,94
15,32
France National Rally (NR) 23,2 2022 67,97
15,77
Sweden Sweden Democrats 20,5 2022 10,94
2,24
Estonia Conservative People’s
Party
17,8 2019 1,33
0.22
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Steinmetz, C. H. D. (2024). Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism with Roots in (Neo)Colonization. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal,
11(7). 109-145.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.117.17290
Finland Finns Party 17,5 2019 5,52
0,97
Austria Freedom Party of
Austria (FPÖ)
16,2 2019 8,88
1,44
Spain Vox 15,1 2023 48,085
7,26
Belgium Vlaams Belang 11,9 2019 11,49
1,37
Croatia Homeland Movement 10.9 2020 4,048
0,44
Netherlands Party for Freedom
(PVV)
10,8 2021 17,53
1,89
Germany Alternative for
Germany (AfD)
10,3 2021 83,2
8,57
Czech
Republique
Freedom and Direct
Democracy
9,5 2021 10,51
1,00
Latvia National Alliance 9,3 2022 1,88
0,17
Romania Alliance for the Union
of Romanians (AUR)
9,1 2020 19,27
1,75
Denmark Danish People Party
(DPP)
8,7 2019 5,81
0,51
Luxemburg Alternative Democratic
Reform
8,3 2018 0,608
0,05
Slovakia Peoples Party Our
Slovakia
8,0 2020 5,46
0,44
Portugal Chega 7,3 2022 10,41
0,76
Poland Confederation 6,8 2023 41,026
2,79
Cyprus National Popular front
(ELAM)
6,8 2021 1,244
0.08
Hungary Our Homeland
Movement
5,9 2022 9,64
0,59
Greece Greek Solution 3,7 2019 10,72
0,40
Slovenia Slovenian National
Party
1,5 2022 2,11
0,03
Lithuania Lithuanian Nationalist
Union
1,1 2020 2,80
0.03
Bulgaria Ataka 0,5 2021 6,88
0,03
Malta Imperial Europe 0,4 2022 0,53
0,002
Total 446,831
64.122 (14%)
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Key Observations:
• High Influence: Parties such as the Brothers of Italy (FdI), National Rally (RN) in France,
and Sweden Democrats have garnered significant electoral support, reflecting strong
right-wing extremist sentiments in these countries.
• Moderate Influence: Parties such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Party for
Freedom (PVV) in the Netherlands hold a moderate but impactful share of votes.
• Low Influence: In some countries, right-wing extremist parties have limited electoral
success, as seen with Ataka in Bulgaria and Imperium Europa in Malta.
Conclusion
These percentages indicate the level of electoral support for far-right ideologies across the
European Union, highlighting the varying degrees of influence and potential impact on national
and EU policies. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for addressing the rise of right-wing
extremism and implementing strategies to counter its impact on society and politics. Far-right
parties are gaining ground in the 2024 European Parliament elections. Here are the key
findings. Right-wing and far-right parties made significant gains in the 2024 European
Parliament elections. The results indicate a significant shift to the right across the European
Union.
Right-Wing Voting Percentages5
1. European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR): Secured about 10.6% of the vote, gaining
76 seats.
2. Identity and Democracy (ID): Achieved approximately 8.1% of the vote, increasing their
seats to 58.
The combined share of these two right-wing groups, ECR and ID, is around 18.7% of the total
vote in the European Parliament elections.
Key Insights
• France and Italy: The far-right parties were strong with Italy's Brothers of Italy and
France's National Rally performing particularly well.
• Germany: Alternative for Germany (AfD) also made significant gains, contributing to an
increase in the number of seats held by the ID's.
• Overall Trend: The far-right bloc, if unified, could become the second-largest group in
the European Parliament, reflecting broader trends in national elections across Europe.
Despite these gains, the traditional centrist coalition of the European People's Party (EPP),
Socialists and Democrats (S&D), and Renew Europe still retains a majority, although with a
reduced margin compared to previous years (2024 European election results) (POLITICO)
(ECFR) (POLITICO).
Summary of 2024 European Parliament Elections
• EPP: 26.4%
5 Websites: https://results.elections.europa.eu/en/; https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-european-election-results- 2024-swings-right-france/; https://ecfr.eu/publication/a-sharp-right-turn-a-forecast-for-the-2024-european- parliament-elections/; https://www.politico.eu/article/european-election-2024-polls-right-wing-big-gains/
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11(7). 109-145.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.117.17290
• S&D: 18.9%
• Renew Europe: 11.1%
• ECR: 10.6%
• ID: 8.1%
• Greens/EFA: 7.2%
• The Left: 5.4%
Figure 2: 2024 European elections
(source: https://ap.lc/zCcYh)
The European political "families" mentioned above could still change in terms of the
composition of their seats. For example, the elected members of the AfD (15 seats) and the
Hungarian Fidesz party (11 seats) are still looking for a political home. In total, the extreme
right has 160 seats in the European Parliament. This is 22% of the total number of seats (720)
in the European Parliament. This shift underscores the growing influence of right-wing
ideologies within the European Parliament, with implications for future policy directions on
issues such as immigration, economic regulation, and the identity of the EU.
KEY QUESTIONS
Figure 3: What is right-wing extremism? C-REX- Center for Research on Extremism
(source: https://ap.lc/wMMVd)
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What is the Relationship Between Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism? And Why is
There a Connection?
The relationship between right-wing extremism and terrorism is complex and multifaceted,
rooted in ideological, sociopolitical, and psychological factors. Right-wing extremism
encompasses a range of ideologies, including white nationalism, neo-Nazism, anti-government
militias, and other ultranationalist or xenophobic movements. Terrorism, in this context, refers
to the use of violence or the threat of violence to achieve political, ideological, or social goals.
Schuurman et al. 2023 show that previously observed relationships between right-wing
extremism, terrorism, and background variables may be questionable. To address this doubt,
they first use Bayesian statistics. This statistic works with an expected distribution of data
before the study and the actual distribution after the study. Using Bayesian statistics reduces
the number of false positive correlations. In addition, Schuurman et al. (2023) distinguish
between before, during, and after the terrorist attack. Schuurman et al. (2023. p. 19) sum up
their results as follows:
“Our analysis suggests that risk and protective factors for radicalization are not
static constructs, and that the influence of variables such as employment,
educational enrollment and social isolation is tied primarily to their development
over time, rather than their presence or absence at any given moment.”
Relationship Components between Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism:
1. Ideological Motivations: Right-wing extremists often hold beliefs that advocate for the
superiority of a particular race, nation, or culture, and they see violence as a legitimate
means to defend or promote these beliefs. For example, white supremacist groups may
commit acts of terrorism to provoke a race war or to intimidate people of color (Pauwels,
RAN, 2021).
2. Target Selection: Right-wing terrorist attacks often target groups they perceive as
threats or enemies, such as racial and religious minorities, political opponents,
government institutions, or symbols of globalization and multiculturalism. This is driven
by their desire to instill fear and disrupt social cohesion (Lewis, 2022).
3. Recruitment and Radicalization: The internet and social media platforms have played
significant roles in the radicalization process. Right-wing extremist groups use these
platforms to disseminate propaganda, recruit members, and coordinate attacks. The
echo chambers created in these online spaces can reinforce extremist beliefs and push
individuals towards violence (Wonderen et al. 2023).
4. Historical and Cultural Context: In some countries, historical and cultural factors
contribute to the prevalence of right-wing extremism. For instance, in the United States,
the legacy of slavery and segregation, combined with contemporary political and social
tensions, has provided a fertile ground for the resurgence of white supremacist
ideologies (Antwi-Boasiako et al., 2020).
Reasons for the Connection:
1. Perceived Threats and Grievances: Right-wing extremists often perceive societal
changes, such as increased immigration, multiculturalism, and the empowerment of
marginalized groups, as existential threats to their way of life. This sense of threat can
lead to radicalization and the belief that violent action is necessary to preserve their
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Steinmetz, C. H. D. (2024). Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism with Roots in (Neo)Colonization. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal,
11(7). 109-145.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.117.17290
What is the Relationship Between Right-Wing Extremism and (Neo)Colonization? And
Why is There a Connection?
The relationship between right-wing extremism and (neo)colonialism is multifaceted and
historically rooted, reflecting interconnected ideologies and sociopolitical dynamics. This
relationship is often characterized by the following aspects:
Relationship and Connection:
1. Historical Legacy and Nostalgia:
• Colonial Legacy: Many right-wing extremist groups and parties draw on the
historical legacy of colonialism, romanticizing and glorifying a past where their
nation was perceived as dominant and powerful. This often includes a nostalgia for
a time when their culture and race were seen as superior and had the right to
dominate other races and cultures.
“Two kinds of nostalgia are not absolute types, but rather tendencies, ways of
giving shape and meaning to longing. Restorative nostalgia puts emphasis on
nostos [return home] and proposes to rebuild the lost home and patch up the
memory gaps. Reflective nostalgia dwells in algia [longing], in longing and loss,
the imperfect process of remembrance. The first category of nostalgic do not
think of themselves as nostalgic; they believe that their project is about truth
(Kaya et al. 2019, p. 22).”
“Pierre-Andre Taguieff defines two kinds of racism: ‘discriminatory racism’ and
‘differential racism’. The former is ‘normal’ racism found in the discriminatory
ideology of colonialism and modern slavery, such as in Britain and France. It
can be boiled down to two propositions: inequality (“We are better!”) and
universality (“We are humanity!”). This implies two correlated attributes: the
quality of universality for those who represent the ‘we’, and the racial quality
(particularity) for those who stand for the ‘others’. Those who define themselves
as representatives of the universal culture blame others for belonging to an
uncivilized race in denial of universality. In other words, discriminatory racism
refers to oppression and exploitation imposed by the allegedly universal
civilization upon indigenous peoples in colonies, or inclusionary racism. The
second type of racism implies the negation of the universal. While ‘normal’
racism results in colonialism and exploitation, both of which are legitimized by
postulating the intellectual inferiority of the exploited, the second type is
embodied in Nazism – an ideology predicated on the pre-eminence of difference
and the elimination of the ‘other’, whose physical differences are sufficiently
vague to generate suspicion and fear of mixing. The goal of differential racism
is thus to annihilate the ‘other’ by regarding him/her as the absolute enemy, or
exclusionary racism (Kaya et al. 2019, pp. 33-34).”
• Cultural Superiority: This nostalgia can translate into contemporary ideologies
that promote cultural superiority and a rejection of multiculturalism, immigration,
and the influence of foreign cultures within their own society.
“References to racial identity are drawn from recent history and the national
ethnographic distribution in which each movement is resident. At least since
Australia’s Federation in 1901, Australia’s history reveals a cultural fear of
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foreign invasion by non-Anglo-European or non-Australian identities (Hirst,
2001). Since the 1980s, an increase in Asian and African migrants into Australia
was followed by a rise in anti-Asian aggression and accusations of African
criminality by local right-wing groups well into the 2010s.
However, consistent references to African America and South American
ethnicities and popular use of the term ‘superiority’ among Canadian right- wing groups on Facebook may be due to the ethnographic apportionment and
distribution of racial minorities throughout North America and the reactionary
presence of organized racial superiority groups within Canada, such as the Ku
Klux Klan’s establishment in Toronto since 1926. Both movements are
composed of cultural superiority fractions that strive to secure a cohesive,
homogeneous population of culturally Australian or Canadian citizens
(Hutchinson et al. 2021, p. 19).”
2. Nationalism and Xenophobia:
• Exclusive Nationalism: Right-wing extremism often includes a form of nationalism
(“far-right nationalism, evangelical nationalism, separatist nationalism, and (the
third world) religious nationalism, Zhou, 2022”) that is exclusionary, advocating for
the protection and preservation of a "pure" national identity. This can be linked to
colonial attitudes of racial and cultural superiority. Below, based on Zhou's article
(2022), exclusive nationalism is further elaborated, also by discussing how the
Western world has responded to this exclusive nationalism with institutions and
procedures. This is not to say that this has been helpful.
“In order to tame nationalism that brought huge disasters to mankind, Western
countries took the lead in establishing a new system of international (internal)
rules after World War II: (1) Formulating international norms to ward off
nationalism between countries, such as the Charter of the United Nations, which
stipulates that “all countries, big and small” are equal, and prohibits breaches
of the sovereignty of other countries; (2) Establishing an international legal
system of human rights to guard against nationalism, especially racism, within
a country, which stipulates that “all human beings are born free and equal in
dignity and rights” and that “each State Party to the present Convention
undertakes to respect and to ensure to all individuals within its territory and
subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in the present Convention,
without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion,
political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other
status”. In order to effectively prevent the harm of various nationalisms at home
and abroad, the United Nations, including its relevant agencies, has also
established institutions, systems and mechanisms such as the Security Council,
the International Criminal Court, and the inter-state accusation and the
acceptance of individual complaints (Zhou, 2022, p. 17).
After the decolonization movement ended, the function or role of nationalism
turned negative as a whole. In terms of discourse, nationalism became
correspondingly an important tool for internal and external ideological
struggles. For a long time, Western countries have always, intentionally or
unintentionally, attached the label of “nationalism” to the Third World
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11(7). 109-145.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.117.17290
developing countries, in order to highlight the superiority of their “liberal
democracies”. Ironically, however, Western countries themselves have fallen
into the set pattern of neo-nationalism since the 21st century (Zhou, 2022, p.
10).”
• Anti-Immigration Stance: The fear of losing national identity and control can lead
to xenophobia and stringent anti-immigration policies. Immigrants and minorities
are often scapegoated as threats to the nation's cultural and economic stability,
reflecting colonial-era attitudes of othering and exploitation.
“How colonialism shapes immigration policy in the US and Australia. When it
comes to immigration, Trump’s America and Turnbull’s Australia are two sides
of the same coin. Separating families, deporting parents, caging children: from
opposite sides of the globe, the United States and Australia have been
trading ideas for punishing people who cross their borders for some years now.
In August 2017, President Donald Trump praised Prime Minister Malcolm
Turnbull for the Australian policy of refusing entry to asylum seekers who arrive
by boat. It is official Australian policy to detain future arrivals through
systematically cruel treatment in offshore detention centers. According to the
leaked transcripts of a phone call between the two leaders, Turnbull told his
American counterpart that Australia has a policy to not let in anyone, even a
“Nobel Prize winning genius”, who arrives in the country by boat.
“That is a good idea. We should do that too,” Trump reportedly responded. “You
are worse than I am.”
Indeed, when it comes to immigration policies it is difficult to say which country
is worse – the US or Australia.
And perhaps it’s not surprising that the two countries are currently swapping
refugees to dodge pressure at home and abroad by human rights organizations.
The US is sending Central American refugees it has been holding in Costa Rica
and accepting Middle Eastern refugees Australia has been holding in Papua
New Guinea and Nauru.
The swap, along with the rest of their racist immigration policies, is a
continuation of a settler-colonial pattern of engagement in the international
community that both countries employ.
Both the US and Australia are settler societies which were founded on white
supremacy and colonial expansionism. Hence, they are intrinsically concerned
with maintaining dominance over Indigenous people and asserting state
sovereignty against the incursion of people deemed “other”.
It is the source of their present-day prosperity and informs the way they both
act to protect their borders.
In March this year Australian Minister for Immigration Peter Dutton told the
media he wanted his department’s refugee programme to prioritize white
farmers facing disadvantage in South Africa – a statement some saw as an echo
of Australia’s past “whites-only” immigration policies (Deslandes, 2018).”
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URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.117.17290
reorientation of the capitalist order. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of far- right populism must account for and pay attention to the heterogeneities of
these movements across the Global North West and the Global South East
(Masood et al. 2019).”
4. Cultural and Racial Purity:
Figure 5: Spectrum of Ideologies from nationalism to right-wing extremism (source: Liger et al.
2022, p. 11)
• Ethnic Homogeneity: Right-wing extremists often promote the idea of maintaining
ethnic homogeneity, which can be traced back to colonial ideologies of racial purity
and segregation.
“In some cases (such as the NPD, DIE RECHT and III Weg in Germany, Nordfront,
NS and the NMR in Sweden, Légió Hungária in Hungary), right-wing extremism
is based on supremacist ideas that believe that ethnic (and Christian) values are
threatened and need to be defended. In some countries, right-wing extremism is
based on a catholic-nationalist ideology (Action Française in France, National
Radical Camp in Poland) or cultural conservatism (such as the Levski Military
Union in Bulgaria), which is built on strong traditional beliefs around family
and gender and against the LGBTQ+ community (Liger et al, 2022, p. 12).”
• Racial Hierarchies: The belief in racial hierarchies that justified colonialism
persists in the form of modern-day racism and supremacist ideologies within right- wing extremist groups.
5. Resistance to Post-Colonial Shifts:
“The post-colonial situation is not the same as the one Fanon analyzed in Algeria,
sub-Saharan Africa and the French Caribbean. But today, too, it is important to
recognize how post-colonial realities represent material supports for capitalist
development. As a result, anti-neoliberal or anti-capitalist current require bending
every time post-colonial questions are raised in today’s imperial metropoles, to
paraphrase Fanon’s famous phrase about Marxism. The same is true for the
patriarchal aspects of the post-colonial situation. There is no smooth path to a
“united front” (tous ensemble) (Kipfer, 2011).”
• Post-Colonial Backlash: The decolonization process and the rise of post-colonial
states have shifted global power dynamics, leading to resistance from groups that
feel threatened by these changes. Right-wing extremists may view these shifts as a
decline in their nation's global standing and influence.
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• Reclaiming Power: Some right-wing extremists seek to "reclaim" their perceived
lost power and status by advocating for policies that reinforce national sovereignty,
often at the expense of international cooperation and minority rights.
Reasons for the Connection:
1. Identity and Power:
• Cultural Identity: Right-wing extremists often feel a strong need to protect and
preserve their cultural identity, which they perceive to be under threat from foreign
influences. This mirrors colonial attitudes of cultural dominance and superiority.
“Colonialism's impact on knowledge production is evident, with the colonial era
establishing the binary framework for racial categorization and hierarchy,
which colonial powers utilized to assert dominance. This framework, rooted in
Western and non-Western notions, perpetuated the dichotomy between
identities, such as Greek and Turkish, while reinforcing the Western
construction of superiority and rationality. Consequently, this colonial legacy
perpetuates the marginalization of indigenous knowledge and the acceptance
of biased narratives. The consequent binary identity perspective, endorsed by
hegemonic postcolonial narratives, engenders a sense of superiority between
Greek and Turkish Cypriots (Guvenir, 2023).”
• Power Dynamics: Both historical colonialism and contemporary right-wing
extremism are concerned with power dynamics, whether it's the domination of other
nations or the exclusion of minority groups within a nation.
“Overall, this creates an illusion that the radical far-right is a problem only in
the context of Western democracies, and somehow, anti-immigrant sentiments
and Islamophobia that have become the hallmark of many far-right movements
are merely symptoms of nationalism brought on by economic austerity and
resulting loss of job market. This narrowly Eurocentric focus on the far-right
populism does not account for the hypocrisy of so-called liberal democratic
governments in the Global North West, which tolerate, support, or at least turn
a blind eye to nationalist politics in the Global South East, because it is expedient
to their neocolonial projects. Importantly, as discussed above, the cultural and
geographic variations in contemporary far-right populism have important
implications for local and international business. Therefore, there is a need to
acknowledge that contemporary far-right populism is neither a geographically
nor a culturally bound phenomenon. Considering the rise of the far-right as a
primarily Western phenomenon is not only empirically incorrect but also likely
to limit a comprehensive understanding of this multinational, multicultural,
phenomenon (Masood et al. 2020).”
2. Economic Insecurity:
• Economic Discontent: Economic insecurity and perceived economic threats can
fuel right-wing extremism. The narrative that foreign elements (immigrants, global
corporations) are exploiting the native population resonates with colonial and
neocolonial exploitation themes.
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targeting the Bangladeshi community; and the third in the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho,
targeting the LGBTQ+ community. The attacks killed three people and injured 140 others.
Impact:
Copeland’s bombings were a wake-up call to the threat of domestic right-wing terrorism in the
UK. He was apprehended, tried, and sentenced to six life sentences. The attacks led to increased
efforts to monitor and combat far-right extremism and greater support for the affected
communities.
Conclusion
These individual narratives illustrate the destructive impact of right-wing terrorism, driven by
extremist ideologies that dehumanize and target minority groups. The motivations often stem
from deep-seated grievances and a perceived need to protect or reclaim cultural and racial
identity. Understanding these stories is crucial for developing strategies to prevent
radicalization and protect vulnerable communities.
RIGHTWING STATES, TERRORISM, AND NEOKOLONISATIE
Right-Wing Extremism in Israel10
Figure 7: Israël's extremist right-wing government
(source: https://ap.lc/ZZkKR)
Background:
Right-wing extremism in Israel is primarily characterized by nationalist and religious
ideologies. These groups advocate for a Jewish state that includes all the land of historic Israel,
10 References
[POLITICO on Right-Wing Extremism] (https://www.politico.eu)
[Al Jazeera on Israeli Settlements] (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/29/israel-settlement-expansion-what- you-need-to-know)
[BBC on Baruch Goldstein] (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26553368)
[The Guardian on the Duma Arson Attack] (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/31/palestinian-child-killed- in-west-bank-arson-attack)
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Steinmetz, C. H. D. (2024). Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism with Roots in (Neo)Colonization. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal,
11(7). 109-145.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.117.17290
often including the West Bank and sometimes Gaza. They oppose any concessions to the
Palestinians and often resist the peace process.
Prominent Groups and Figures:
1. Kach and Kahane Chai: Founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane, these groups were outlawed
as terrorist organizations. They advocated for the expulsion of Arabs from Israel and the
occupied territories.
2. Lehava: An anti-assimilation group that opposes relationships between Jews and non- Jews. It has been linked to violent activities against Arabs.
3. Hilltop Youth: Young settlers known for establishing unauthorized outposts in the West
Bank. They have been involved in violent clashes with Palestinians and Israeli security
forces.
Actions:
1. Price Tag Attacks: These are acts of vandalism and violence against Palestinians and
Israeli security forces, intended to exact a "price" for actions perceived as hostile to the
settler movement.
2. Assassinations and Terrorist Attacks: The assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak
Rabin in 1995 by right-wing extremist Yigal Amir is a significant example. Amir opposed
the Oslo Accords and the peace process.
Terrorism and Right-Wing Extremism
Motivations: Right-wing extremist terrorism in Israel is driven by religious and nationalist
ideologies. These groups believe that violence is a legitimate means to achieve their goals of
expanding Jewish control over all biblical lands and preventing any territorial concessions to
Palestinians.
Notable Incidents:
1. Cave of the Patriarchs Massacre/ Ibrahimi Mosque massacre (1994): Baruch
Goldstein, an American-born Israeli settler, killed 29 Muslim worshipers and wounded
over 100 in Hebron. Goldstein was motivated by extremist beliefs and is viewed as a
hero by some right-wing radicals.
2. Duma Arson Attack (2015): Jewish extremists firebombed a Palestinian home in the
West Bank village of Duma, killing three members of the Dawabsheh family, including
an 18-month-old baby.
Neocolonization and Its Connection to Right-Wing Extremism
Concept of Neocolonization:
Neocolonization refers to the practice of exerting control or influence over a region or
population through economic, political, and cultural pressures rather than direct military
control. In the context of Israel, this term is often used to describe the ongoing settlement
expansion in the West Bank.
Settlement Movement:
1. The settlement movement is supported by right-wing groups who believe in the divine
right of Jews to inhabit the biblical land of Israel. This has led to the establishment of