Christine Anderson, who represents the Alternative for Germany party (AfD) in the European Parliament, first came to my attention in March 2022 when she confronted Canada’s authoritarian and China-loving prime minister Justin Trudeau, who was addressing the European Parliament at the time. Anderson called him “a disgrace for any democracy,” accusing Trudeau of admiring the Chinese basic dictatorship and trampling on “fundamental rights by persecuting and criminalizing his own citizens as terrorists just because they dare to stand up to his perverted concept of democracy.” She concluded by advising Trudeau to “Please spare us your presence.”
I am reminded of such feisty and fearless political figures as Giorgia Meloni in Italy and our own Danielle Smith, premier of Alberta. But life is not easy for populist leaders and parliamentarians in the current censorious and decadent political climate in which they must struggle to survive, let alone prosper. One recalls the fate of Maggie Thatcher, Britain’s “Iron Lady,” the most significant and determined prime minister since Winston Churchill — both repudiated by their own feckless party and an ungrateful electorate.
It is now Anderson’s turn to come under fire. Visiting Canada recently, she was initially welcomed by three members of the Conservative Party, who almost instantly had to backtrack, apologize, and claim ignorance of the ideas and policies of so nefarious a personage. And what were these ideas and policies?
She was not, like so many Westerners, bamboozled by the pitiable charm offensive of Ukraine’s utterly corrupt Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a war owing as much to NATO’s encroachment on Russia’s borders and Biden’s regime-change initiative as to Putin’s belligerence. Adding to the list of Anderson’s transgressions, according to The Globe and Mail, “She has opposed vaccine mandates and voiced her approval of the truckers’ convoy in Canada last year.” She dismisses man-made climate change as a hoax. Moreover, she has decried unfettered Muslim immigration into Germany and Europe — a destructive policy threatening Europe’s cohesion. Clearly, from the perspective of the bleaters, her crimes abound.
For three transgressions and for four, Anderson was not to be forgiven. Federal Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, of whom much was expected to set Canada on the right course after the devastations wrought by the Partridge King, excoriated Anderson through his media relations spokesperson, Sebastian Skamski: “Christine Anderson’s views are vile and have no place in our politics…Frankly, it would be better if Anderson never visited Canada in the first place. She and her racist, hateful views are not welcome here.”
As noted, the CINOs who met convivially with Anderson had their middle fingers in the wind and wasted no time bowing to the mood of the Party. “We were not aware of the views or associations of her and her political party. We do not share or endorse her views and strongly condemn any views that are racist or hateful.” One wrote, “I profoundly regret attending a meeting without having sought the input of my staff and without having undertaken a fulsome [sic] vetting of the individuals or organizations with whom I was meeting—which is my usual practice. I, alone, own this mistake. I will do better.” Anderson justifiably replied, “This statement says more about you than it could ever say about me!”
Related: Conservative Clergyman Calls Out the Church of England’s ‘Christophobic’ Embrace of the LGBT Agenda
Meanwhile, Trudeau enjoyed his moment of schadenfreude. According to the Toronto Star, for whom Anderson is a “known extremist,” “Trudeau took aim at the incident, saying, ‘We’ve seen consistently a pattern from Conservative politicians … Conservative parliamentarians associating themselves with folks responsible for a particularly vile level of rhetoric and hatred…’ The PM added that ‘Canadians need to stop being treated like fools.’” In this regard, he was unintentionally correct.
One might have thought, too, that Anderson’s rejection of Muslim immigration and refugee flows into Europe, considering the evident damage this has done to the social peace and economic viability of countries like Germany, Belgium, France, Sweden, and others, as well as the specter of rising antisemitism, would have given Jewish organizations pause. But this was not to be, owing to the diaspora’s weak-kneed representatives. I was appalled at the ignorance on display by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, which also condemned the visit by Christine Anderson, “known for Islamophobic and anti-immigrant views.” Similarly, former CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress and current Anti-Hate Network chair Bernie Farber tweeted, “To be clear, Christine Anderson is a member of a racist, anti-LGBTQ+, and antisemitic far right party.”
This is abject nonsense. Anderson is a realist and a brave campaigner for truth, understanding perfectly well the menace that excessive Muslim immigration, no less than Woke ideology, poses to the unity and prosperity of the West. How could any sane and responsible Jewish group, having even the slightest knowledge of Islamic scripture and practice, object to her presence among us? As people say, “unbelievable!”
The collective response of sanctimonious horror to Christine Anderson’s visit is as shameful as it is predictable. Thankfully, we still have people in this country like Anderson, admittedly a minority, people of high caliber and character. Indeed, the only party leader who acted with courage and integrity was the fledgling PPC’s Maxime Bernier, Canada’s last forlorn hope, who chatted amiably with Anderson. This was the kind of meeting that she merited, exchanging views with a respectful, highly intelligent, and morally committed party leader, possibly the rarest breed in this melancholy nation. Anderson’s gratitude to the Canadian people expressed in this interview preceded the cowardly and vengeful attack launched against her by press, party, and religious organizations. One wonders what she might have said had she known the reception that awaited her and the blizzard of tawdry apologies to all and sundry by those who hosted her.
One thing is clear: the major political parties, the timorous collaborators, and the legacy media are equally reprehensible. It’s Christine Anderson who deserves an apology.
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