German banker hits nerve with anti-immigration book

[roxiejules]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100906/bs_afp/germanypoliticsimmigrationsociety_20100906101243

Politicians have rushed to condemn a board member of the German central bank for a new book tackling immigration, but his views have found considerable support among the population at large.

Thilo Sarrazin's book "is not convincing, but it has convinced many people," said the influential Spiegel magazine, which this week has the Bundesbank executive on its cover, calling him a "people's hero." His publisher is rushing to print more copies of "Germany Does Itself In" to meet demand. Online retailer Amazon.de has a massive 207 reader reviews on its website, with the average score 4.4 stars out of a possible five.

In the book, Sarrazin says Europe's top economy is being undermined, overwhelmed and made "more stupid" by poorly educated, fast-breeding, badly integrated and unproductive Muslim immigrants and their offspring. "If I want to hear the muezzin's call to prayer, then I'll go to the Orient," he says, saying that allowing in millions of "guest workers" in the 1960s and 1970s was a "gigantic error."

According to a study from Bielefeld University, one in two Germans thinks there are too many foreigners in the country.


Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fA4tWheo5Y&feature=channel