The Anne Frank Center has waded into the debate around ISIS terrorists returning to Germany with an unlikely take, seemingly implying that they deserve the same rights as Jews persecuted by the Nazis. A tweetstorm ensued.

The German government announced plans to strip some Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS or ISIL) fighters returning to Germany of their citizenship last week. More than 1,000 Germans left to take up arms for the Caliphate since 2013, and around a third have returned. Another third are believed to be dead, with the rest in hiding or captivity in Iraq and Syria.

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The decision will apply to adult German nationals with dual citizenship who join the terror group in the future. The Frankfurt-based Anne Frank Center – a human rights nonprofit founded by Frank’s father Otto – jumped into the discussion with an unlikely defense of the Islamist militants.

“A lot of protest has broken out against” the government’s decision, the center tweeted, “with reference to the Third Reich.”

“In fact, the Nazis made generous use of the means of naturalization. In several waves, a total of more than 39,000 people were expelled – especially Jews. As of Nov. in 1941, they automatically lost their citizenship when they crossed the borders of the Reich regardless of whether 'voluntarily' emigrated or deported.”

Tatsächlich machten die Nazis großzügig Gebrauch vom Mittel der Ausbürgerung. In mehreren Wellen wurden insgesamt über 39000 Personen ausgebürgert - besonders Jüdinnen & Juden.Ab Nov. 1941 verloren diese automatisch ihre Staatsbürgerschaft, wenn sie 2/5 pic.twitter.com/L4IWsmzXjR — Bildungsstätte Anne Frank (@BS_AnneFrank) March 6, 2019

“Albert Einstein was affected on the grounds that he had violated 'the duty to be faithful to the Reich and the people.'”

"Also expelled was Hannah Ahrendt, from whom the saying comes: 'The naturalized person loses the right to have rights.’ In democracies, withdrawal of citizenship is a means that deprives the sovereign, the citizens, of the opportunity to participate.”

While the center’s comparison wasn’t a direct one, plenty of commenters took offense at the notion that a brutally persecuted group could be compared to people who willingly joined a terrorist organization.

“You are abusing Anne Frank’s name for dirty propaganda,” read one tweet. “Millions of murdered Jews would turn in the grave because of this comparison.”

Ihr missbraucht den Namen von Anne Frank für dreckige Propaganda, übelstes Framing und von der Realität losgelöste Relativiererei. Anne Frank und Millionen ermordeter Juden würden sich wegen dieses Vergleichs im Grab umdrehen. — Ivan Pavlovic (@bedlameria) March 9, 2019

“You seriously compare IS fighters to persecuted Jews in Nazi times? Incredible...And then you are named after Anne Frank. It doesn't get any more disgusting than that,” read another.

Ihr vergleicht ernsthaft Is Kämpfer mit verfolgten Juden in der Nazi Zeit? Unglaublich... Und dann seid ihr noch nach Anne Frank benannt. Ekelhafter geht's nicht. — Jaques Lé Flake (@JaquesLeFlake) March 6, 2019

In a ‘two can play at that game’ move, another commenter compared the policies of Chancellor Angela Merkel to Adolf Hitler, drawing comparisons between their attitudes on censorship, socialism, and Islam.

Drittes Reich? Ihr seid schon Blitzmerker... pic.twitter.com/YFsw8JyBA9 — Max Asch (@CrazyIvan1979) March 10, 2019

“A terrible insult,” tweeted retired British Colonel Richard Kemp. “They should delete this disgraceful tweet.”

A terrible insult by @BS_AnneFrank. They should delete this disgraceful tweet. https://t.co/K8MJqMDs1Z — Rɪᴄʜᴀʀᴅ Kᴇᴍᴘ ⋁ (@COLRICHARDKEMP) March 9, 2019

The center didn’t delete its tweets, and said it was trying to “put the means of withdrawing citizenship in its historical context.”

Liebe Follower*innen, für unseren Thread über das Prinzip der Ausbürgerung wurden wir kritisiert. Im Beitrag haben wir das Mittel des Entzugs von Staatsbürgerschaft in ihren historischen Kontext gesetzt. Im Grundgesetz hat der Schutz vor Ausbürgerung(Nachtrag 1/3) — Bildungsstätte Anne Frank (@BS_AnneFrank) March 7, 2019

“Some users have understood the connection as an equation of Jewish victims of National Socialism and German members of the IS terrorist militia,” the center continued. “We very much regret that our text allowed this room for interpretation. Such an equation was, of course, not our intention.”

The debate over what to do with returning IS fighters was thrust into the headlines last month when the British government stripped the citizenship of British-born Shamima Begum, who left the UK as a teenager to join the Islamic State in Syria. Although Begum has expressed no remorse for joining the group, her lawyer has pleaded with the Home Office to reinstate her citizenship as an “act of mercy,” following the death of her infant son.

In the US, President Trump has refused to take back a New Jersey-born IS bride who claims she “deeply, deeply regrets” her flight to the Middle East. However, Trump has demanded that European leaders take back their own IS fighters and put them on trial.

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