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Sarrazin at the presentation of his book in Berlin
Photo: Christoph Soeder / dpa
The publicist Henryk M. Broder stands at the lectern and admits that he was not Thilo Sarrazin's first choice at all.
"At least a handful of prominent pioneers, lateral thinkers and pioneers" were asked to present Sarrazin's new book "The State at Its Borders - About the Effects of Migration in Past and Present" in Berlin.
But everyone canceled, says Broder.
He himself is only "an emergency solution, but certainly the only right one".
The current situation is "spooky".
It is governed in the manner of a lord of the manor, and dealing with the corona crisis is taking on "totalitarian traits" due to the desire for prohibition and regulation.
He thanks Sarrazin and LangenMüller-Verlag for publishing such a book during this time.
Sarrazin's book is not about dealing with Corona, but about the history and management of migration.
Broder nevertheless sees an overarching topic: What can still be said or written and what not?
What about freedom of expression?
The questions move many people, not least those who take to the streets against the government's corona policy - and precisely by doing so, they show that freedom of expression cannot be that bad in this country.
"Read the book as if you didn't know who wrote it."
Sarrazin also has the right to express himself freely, says Broder.
A right that has been denied him many times over the years.
The former Berlin Senator for Finance was expelled from the SPD this summer due to his publications after 47 years of membership.
Broder warns journalists about their own prejudices during the book launch: "Read the book as if you didn't know who wrote it."
What if you took that to heart?
Would you judge the book differently?
Wouldn't one come to the conclusion that the author is anti-Muslim and has an extremely selective view of the issue of migration?
Yes, that would come.
Because, as always, Sarrazin is a lot about superiority and inferiority.
In his opinion, immigrants from the Islamic cultural area have "rather low cognitive competence".
For him, Muslims are barely integrable foreign bodies.
It is those places that make the difference in the evaluation.
You are the main reason why Sarrazin dislikes so much.
Not because he criticizes Merkel's refugee policy or because he thinks that migration must be managed.
Not even because he says that the strong population growth is a problem in some African countries or because he addresses the fact that many of the refugees from 2015 were poorly educated and their integration would be difficult.
Other authors and scientists are addressing these things as well.
Sarrazin does not address human rights violations
It is the many generalizations and devaluations towards an entire culture, an entire religion that Sarrazin can be blamed for.
And it is the differentiations and facts that he leaves out.
In "The State at Its Borders" he compares the way different countries deal with migrants.
China, for example, is worth a long analysis.
In the chapter "The Cultural Defense of Nations", Sarrazin writes: "What is remarkable is the self-confidence with which a country like China insists on its identity."
It should be noted that the United Nations and human rights activists have been accusing China for years of maintaining a regime of control and re-education against the Muslim Uyghur minority.
There have been reports of forced sterilization to reduce the birth rate of Muslim women.
China denies this.
Sarrazin does not address human rights violations.
What is striking is the cynicism that Sarrazin lets shine through again and again.
On the subject of climate change, he explains: "Anyone who thinks in terms of environmental categories should see with displeasure that people from Africa and western Asia are emigrating to Europe Senegal, of course, has far less CO2 than the average resident of Berlin. "That's true, of course. According to this logic, it would also be welcome if nobody in Germany had access to running water and electricity.
This time Sarrazin even mentions his own migration background.
The genealogy showed the following: Sarrazin is "a European promenade mixture".
He has not only English, but also West Prussian ancestors, "an Italian is said to have been there. The" lots of red hair "in his beard are" possibly from the Celtic-Scottish heritage. "Is that a problem for the hobby historian? According to his own logic, Thilo Sarrazin should be a good migrant: Firstly, he says he feels German and secondly, he has no Arab or African influence.
Germany is "today (still) one of the most successful countries in the world
."
But "exactly that" is now at stake due to the incorrectly managed migration.
Immigration from Africa and the Middle East, mind you.
Because: the "migrations of Europeans within Europe, they are, with a few exceptions, not a major problem today."
Sarrazin sees the solutions, roughly speaking, in consistent deportations, better border protection and an adaptation of the asylum law so that, in addition to political refugees, only war refugees from Europe are allowed to seek protection in Germany.
The staging as a courageous advocate of allegedly uncomfortable truths catches on particularly well these days.
And the book presentation is also to be understood from this point of view.
How else should one interpret Henryk M. Broder's anecdote that several celebrities had turned down Sarrazin’s request?
Broder says that this was "for scheduling reasons, because of other obligations or because they didn't want to interrupt their vacation".
He also had no doubt that this was actually the case.
However, between the lines there is still the fact that nobody but him dares to perform such a performance.
In any case, the book will be a bestseller, predicts Broder.
On the Amazon bestseller list, Sarrazin's new work is actually already number two that evening.
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