Who is “good” for us and who is not?
On the article “Eine Antwort auf den politischen Islam ist nötig” by Lucia Puttrich and Susanne Schröter (F.A.Z. of 4 January):
As WerteInitiative – jüdisch-deutsche Positionen e.V., the “right” way of dealing with extremists is one of our core concerns. An important article! The rejection of Islamist terrorism is largely a matter of consensus. We Germans find it far harder than the Austrians and the French to answer the question of how we deal with their siblings in spirit, who come along in suit and tie.
Such “legalists” do act in conformity with the law on the surface, but in truth they want to “turn upside down” the political and social system in line with their agenda. The discussion about this is only hesitantly gathering pace in Germany. Hesitantly, because it goes to the heart of the matter, where we have to distinguish: who is “good” for our free and democratic society and who is not.
Who makes society more multifaceted together with us and who abuses it? How do we support the many Muslims whose enlightened understanding of religion fits into the centre of society, and what limits are there for those who do not? Macron aptly calls them “separatists”.
The major parties would be well advised to offer clear answers in the run-up to the Bundestag and state parliament elections, because at the right-hand and in part also at the left-hand political margin populist answers stand ready for this.
Elio Adler, Chairman of the Board of the WerteInitiative – jüdisch-deutsche Positionen e.V., Berlin
