Christchurch mosque gunman had tremendous help loading the gun
On Friday, March 15th, Brenton Tarrant opened fire at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, murdering 50 Muslims as they prayed. Preceding this he wrote a 74-page manifesto documenting his rationale and logic for the massacre.
In the document, Tarrant states he seeks “to create an atmosphere of fear and change” with his attack in order to “force out” immigrants and “ensure the existence of our race.” The Australian-born gunman writes about the threat of “mass immigration” to white identity and culture, claiming that Muslims, whom he repeatedly refers to as “invaders,” will replace white Europeans if action is not taken. He directs his readers to do away with democracy, calling it “mob rule,” and engage in violence in order to defend “the survival of our people, our culture and our lands.”
An initial read of the manifesto reveals clear similarities to British political commentator, Douglas Murray’s The Strange Death of Europe (Bloomsbury, 2017). While Murray does not advocate violence, the central theme in his book resembles Tarrant’s thinking in that “mass migration” is replacing European culture and will lead to the eradication of white European identity. Murray, the director of the right-wing think tank, the Henry Jackson Society, states, “Europe is committing suicide” and has publicly advocated that “conditions for Muslims in Europe” be “made harder across the board.” Both Murray and Tarrant discuss the dangers of “diversity” and how ultimately it will lead to the replacement of the great civilization that is “Europe.”
Murray and Tarrant are not alone in their views. It only takes a quick reflection of the current climate in which dangerous right-wing viewpoints are promoted and protected in the name of “free speech,” to conclude that the horrific attack in New Zealand did not occur in a vacuum.
Take, for example, Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Netherlands, whose 11-point manifesto outlines a plan to “de-Islamize” the Netherlands by closing mosques, Islamic schools, asylum centers, and banning the hijab and the Qur’an. Wilders is a mainstream politician who habitually paints all Muslims as violent individuals who seek to dominate Europe. Tarrant mimics Wilders’ 2016 claim that “stopping Islamic immigration is a matter of survival,” as Tarrant calls on readers to “crush immigration and deport those invaders already living on our soil.” Despite his disturbing and racist views, Wilders has been welcomed by numerous elected officials, including the United States’ own white supremacist congressman, Steve King.
In March 2017, King publicly tweeted his support for Wilders stating, “Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny. We can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies.” Journalist Christopher Mathias has documented King’s repeated promotion of white nationalist talking points focusing on birth rates, noting that in August 2018, King gave an interview to a far-right Austrian publication proclaiming, “If we don’t defend Western civilization, then we will become subjugated by the people who are the enemies of faith, the enemies of justice.” In January, the congressman from Iowa questioned why “white supremacy” and “white nationalism” were offensive terms.
The Christchurch shooter mirrors this rhetoric with incessant talk of demographics and birth rates in his manifesto, stating that “the crisis of mass immigration and sub-replacement fertility is an assault on the European people that, if not combated, will ultimately result in the complete racial and cultural replacement of the European people.” He advocates the death of immigrants and people of color in an effort to retain a “white homeland.” Obsession over fertility rates is common amongst white nationalists who believe in the White Genocide Conspiracy Theory, claiming that low birth rates amongst white people coupled with increased immigration of people of color and support for diversity will ultimately lead to the extinction of the white race. This was a repetitive theme in Tarrant’s manifesto as he urged readers to take action before European people and culture are eliminated. In describing what he wanted, Tarrant repeated the white nationalist slogan, 14 words, in his manifesto.
King most recently retweeted Canadian far-right personality Faith Goldy who worked as a correspondent for the far-right media outlet, The Rebel, before running for the mayor of Toronto. While at The Rebel, she live-streamed the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, VA, during which she spoke glowingly about Neo-Nazis. Shortly after, Goldy was fired from The Rebel for appearing on a white nationalist podcast where she publicly recited the 14 words and then defended her actions stating, “This is a simple statement of survival.” Despite her extreme views and support for racist and discriminatory measures, Goldy remains connected to numerous politicians and most recently attended CPAC 2019.
Speaking of the GOP, the President of the United States himself has entertained white nationalists views, and Tarrant was observant of that, noting in his manifesto that Donald Trump, was “a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose.” Anti-immigrant sentiment has been central to the Trump administration as it has enforced draconian policies aimed at eliminating immigrants of color. This is visible in the Muslim Ban and the ongoing deliberations involving the “border wall.” Trump has also called neo-Nazis “very fine people,” and retweeted dangerous propaganda from anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim organizations.
Commentators and experts may be quick to write off Tarrant as a lone wolf but let’s be clear: he isn’t alone in his views. Tarrant is a symptom of a much wider problem. His rhetoric is a reflection of the racist and anti-Muslim narrative that has permeated every level of our society, that is reinforced daily by our media, and that is communicated regularly in statements by our politicians and leaders. Tarrant may have been alone when he pulled the trigger at the mosques perpetrating a massacre, but he had tremendous help loading the gun.
