A cry to stop violence in the name of Islam

Last updated on May 27th, 2021 at 04:17 pm

This is not the first time that people are losing their lives based on religion. With increasing, terror and fear induced by Islam, with time are spreading its roots in Europe’s Muslim communities and in Germany. Thought leaders and Social activists from around the world have come together to opinion their voices.

This issue became more prominent after the assassination attempt at the Notre-Dame de l’Assomption Basilica in Nice. It involved slitting of a pensioner’s throat while she was visiting the church chanting “Allahu Akbar”. It Cleary depicts political Islam as not helping the human race and is increasingly taking root in European Muslim communities. The sad part is that we all are aware of the omnipresence of Islamist terror. But all of us resume our business as usual after brief expressions of consternation. And few daring ones, who come forward to express their concern are labelled as racist from Islamists and left centered countries.

Carsten Linnemann, a Deputy Chairman of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag believes, Germany does not have a similar situation as the French have but even in Germany, there are segregated Muslim communities and Islamic extremism that young people are embracing. Hundreds of young men and women have moved to Syria and Iraq in recent years to join a barbaric regime of terror.

The sociologist and journalist Necla Kelek is a member of the board of Terre des Femmes. She argues that police crime statistics have shown for years that not everyone who comes to seek the help of the law is criminals or naive only. Men have come to them for seeking protection after being involved in serious violent and sexual crimes and are not deported. There are people living in the country despite their involvement in terrorist attacks such as those in Ansbach, Würzburg and in Berlin.

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Explaining the trend, Mouhanad Khorchide, who is head of the scientific advisory board of the Documentation Centre Political Islam in Austria says that religious extremism does not start with murder directly. It stems from little action like a refusal to shake hands with a woman,  missing girls in swimming lessons, disrespect towards female teachers and traces of biased behaviour towards a protected or an indigenous community. He further emphasises that it becomes the responsibility of everyone to ensure that all those whom we entrust with important integration work in schools, society and institutions do not have to fear for life and limb to do so.

Adding to the argument, Birgit Kelle, the author asserts that the silence emerging from bodies like political parties, media houses, churches and civil society is even more conspicuous. It is observed that after right-wing extremist attacks, demonstrations and remembrance events were held, and justice was demanded. But why nothing much that has happened in the case of Islamist attacks? Does anyone spontaneously know even one name of a German victim of Islamist terror? She cites an example that when George Floyd was killed by the police during his arrest in the USA in May 2020, it triggered mass protest on the streets of Germany and also called to review their policies. Does she question that where were the demonstrations after the murder of Samuel Paty, after the first attack in Nice or the slaughter of the Catholic clergyman in a church in France?

Concluding the discussion Seyran Ates, a lawyer from Berlin and also a  founder of the liberal Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque joins to say, a society is handicapped without the complete integration of immigrants from different nations, cultures and religions. We all need a common foundation of values for this which is non-negotiable.