Germany’s nationalist AfD party has called for a boycott of Toblerone after it realised it is halal-certified – even though the recipe hasn’t changed.
The popular chocolate bar gained the designation earlier this year and means it is permissible according to Islamic law.
The AfD’s spokesman, Jörg Meuthen, claimed in a Facebook post it was evidence of the “Islamisation” of Germany and Europe.
He wrote: “Islamisation does not take place ― neither in Germany nor in Europe.
“It is therefore certainly pure coincidence that the depicted, known chocolate variety is now certified as ‘HALAL,’” he added sarcastically.
Unfortunately for Meuthen, it is indeed coincidental.
In a statement to CNN, Toblerone maker Mondelēz, said: “The certification did not result in any change to our beloved traditional Toblerone original recipe.”
Many of the comments on Meuthen’s Facebook post appeared to be mocking him with one person even saying it had given him his first laugh since his mother died.
It read: “A genuine compliment to you, Mr. Meuthen: At least today you have relieved me a bit of the grief over my recently deceased mother and I could once again laugh heartily at your madness! Thank you very much!”
The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party won around 90 seats in Germany’s Bundestag, with 12.6 percent of the vote in 2017, the first far right group to enter the national parliament since 1945.
It marked a remarkable rise for a party that was founded just four years ago, in a country in which the shadow of Nazism still hangs heavily.
Its manifesto includes a broad condemnation of multi-culturalism, saying it threatens Germany’s values that centre on “Christianity, antiquity, humanism
and the Enlightenment”.
It warns the “currently ongoing culture war between West and Islam’ can only be averted by “a bunch of restrictive and defensive measures”. It does not say what they are.