EUROPE AND THE FAR RIGHT: THE CASE OF ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE

Yıl 2024, Cilt: 9 Sayı: 1, 1 - 13, 01.07.2024

Aybars Karcı

Öz

The wave of immigration that started in Europe after the Second World War and increased over the years, the attribution of economic crises to foreigners, and ultimately the developments that profoundly changed international relations in the early 2000s, led far-right parties and groups to increase their visibility in politics and public opinion. England, known for its liberal democratic and multicultural structure, was also affected by this trend and it was observed that xenophobia, especially towards Muslims, increased in the country. It can be said that the English Defense League, which is the subject of this study and has not been examined in detail in Turkish literature before, and emerged as a street movement with the motto of "peacefully protesting militant Islam", is the product of such an environment. The organization, which became one of the largest anti-Muslim protest groups in Europe between 2009 and 2013, was analyzed in this article through the British sources using the literature review method. In this context, the general characteristics of the far-right movement, the UK far-right, the structure of the organization, the narratives used, the supporter profile are revealed and the similarities/dissimilarities of the movement with the traditional far-right are determined; It was concluded that it contributed to the mainstreaming of the British and European far-right.

Anahtar Kelimeler

English Defence League, England, Far Right, Islamophobia

AVRUPA VE AŞIRI SAĞ: İNGİLİZ SAVUNMA BİRLİĞİ ÖRNEĞİ

Öz

İkinci Dünya Savaşından sonra Avrupa’da başlayan ve yıllar geçtikçe artan göç dalgası, ekonomik bunalımların yabancılara bağlanması ve nihayetinde 2000’lerin başında uluslararası ilişkileri derinden değiştiren gelişmeler, aşırı sağcı parti ve grupların siyasette ve kamuoyunda görünürlüklerini arttırmasına yol açmıştır. Liberal demokratik ve çok-kültürlü yapısıyla bilinen İngiltere de bu eğilimden etkilenmiş ve ülkede Müslümanlar özelinde yabancı düşmanlığının yükseldiği görülmüştür. Bu çalışmaya konu olan ve Türkçe literatürde daha önce detaylı biçimde incelenmemiş, “Militan İslam’ı barışçıl şekilde protesto etme” mottosu üzerine bir sokak hareketi olarak ortaya çıkan İngiliz Savunma Birliği’nin (English Defence League) böylesi bir ortamın ürünü olduğu söylenebilir. 2009-2013 yılları arasında Avrupa'nın en büyük Müslüman karşıtı protesto gruplarından biri haline gelen örgüt, bu makalede literatür taraması yöntemi kullanılarak İngiliz kaynakları üzerinden analiz edilmiştir. Bu bağlamda aşırı sağ akımın genel özellikleri, İngiltere aşırı sağı, örgütün yapısı, kullanılan anlatılar, destekçi profili ortaya konmuş ve hareketin geleneksel aşırı sağ ile benzeşen/ayrışan yönleri saptanarak; İngiliz ve Avrupa aşırı sağının anaakımlaşmasına katkıda bulunduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

İngiliz Savunma Birliği, İngiltere, Aşırı Sağ, İslamofobi

Kaynakça

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