‘Swamp’ talk won’t turn the tide against fascism in Germany

Berlin, Germany. ‘By being a home to immigrants and melding histories, cultures and stories, there is the opportunity for Germany to create a new and richer narrative for the future.’ Photograph: Getty

I am infuriated by the tone taken by Fatma Aydemir in her portrayal of the area surrounding the German capital (Berlin feels like an island in a swamp of neofascism – but the flood waters are rising, 5 September).

I am a UK-German citizen who has lived in a small village near Kyritz in Brandenburg for the last eight years, after spending many years living in Berlin. We are about 90km or so from the capital. Yes, there are Alternative für Deutschland voters here – of many different types and for many different reasons. But the picture is so much more nuanced than that painted by Fatma, and branding our region as “polluted” does nothing to further understanding or rapprochement on either side.