By Seth J. Frantzman

According to figures printed at BBC based on the Interior Ministry there were 10 attacks a day on refugees and asylum seekers in 2016.

• 3,533 attacks on migrants and asylum hostels in 2016
• 560 people injured, including 43 children
• 988 attacks on housing (slightly fewer than in 2015)
• 217 attacks on refugee organisations and volunteers

Not since the 1930s have there been so many racist attacks in Germany. And yet you will see few protests to condemn this wave of hatred. You will see even less discussion of it. At recent carnivals in Germany the major theme was to mock US President Donald Trump and America. Floats pointed to rising populism and racism in the US, France and the Netherlands.  Another float showed maggots eating away at democracy and the maggots were named “Orban, Erdogan, Trump and Putin.” The even attacked Brexit, showing England committing suicide.

It’s easy for Germans to mock everyone but themselves it seems. Perhaps the floats should have shown the reality of Germany. Ten attacks a day on people of color, 10 attacks a day on foreigners and migrants. One of the most hateful societies in the world in terms of the number of attacks per day on refugees. Few other countries in the world comes close to the hatred shown migrants in Germany and the levels of violence. 988 attacks on housing. Think about that. Are there 988 fire-bombings of black people’s homes in the US? Are there that many attacks elsewhere?

And yet there is barely a peep from the German press or public. These are scary, scary times in Germany, but the public needs to deflect from the extreme-racist reality through pretending racism is only in other place, anti-democracy and populism is only in other places, while Germany is a “model.” What model is this? Under the veneer of accepting refugees, the society is persecuting them more than anywhere else in the world. In the US there are almost no attacks on refugees. So why are there 10 a day in Germany?

The German press shows images of Trump beheading the statue of liberty or the statue of liberty beheading him. But they should show carnival floats for each of the 43 children harmed in racist attacks last year. It’s time to hold up a mirror to those who enjoy so much pretending they are a model and ask them to be self-critical.

3,533 attacks. The next time you hear the US or UK is racist against migrants, just remind people of that number.