Maisha-Maureen Auma is Professor of Childhood and Difference (Diversity Studies) at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences and currently a visiting professor at Humboldt University in Berlin. Professor Auma criticised structural racism and sexism at german universities in an interview with the Tagesspiegel. As a result, she was subjected to massive hostility by the AfD state parliamentary group in Saxony-Anhalt in a social media post regarding this topic.
The AfD member of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, Dr Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, claimed that women and people of colour are given preferential treatment in recruitment at german universities, and he talked about “racism against whites”. He also denies the scientific nature of Prof. Auma’s academic work.
Since considerable parts of the scientific community in Germany have declared their solidarity with Prof. Auma in a letter to the German Association of Universities, the criticism put forward by Dr. Tillschneider is obviously groundless and post-factual. The extent to which the dissemination of such post-factual theses is compatible with Dr. Tillschneider’s currently paused activity in the academic field must be critically examined.
The Union of Students against the Right (BSgR) strongly criticises the AfD parliamentary group, Dr. Tillschneider and all other persons and institutions involved in the shitstorm! These events show once again that the AfD and its members have neither respect for democratic principles nor a rudimentary understanding of science. Furthermore, the events illustrate once again the appalling extent to which the AfD holds racist and sexist positions in Saxony-Anhalt and beyond.
We would like to remind you at this point that the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt are coming up on 6 June 2021. In Saxony-Anhalt, the proportion of AfD members in the state parliament is the second highest in Germany at 24%. We would like to encourage all students who have not yet re-registered to do so and use their vote in the election – against the AfD. All students, whether university of applied sciences, university, all together against the right!
