Once again Muslim children have attacked a Jewish schoolchild in Berlin. In this case it was “only” words. It is unlikely, however, to stop there. The inhibition threshold for carrying antisemitic hostility out into the open keeps falling, so that here, sadly, deeds too are soon to be expected.
Elio Adler, Chairman of the civil-society WerteInitiative, jüdisch-deutsche Positionen, comments: “These small Muslim children are innocent! They were not born with so aggressive an attitude; they acquired it – from parents, siblings, friends and whoever else influences them. Unfortunately they have been taught an understanding of their religion that lays claim to absolute truth and thus leads them to believe in a sense of superiority. That in turn prompts them to attack so-called ‘unbelievers’. Such a mixture of a sense of superiority and aggression has a name: fascism.”
Dismayed lip service from those responsible is no remedy. It must become an obligation for head teachers to report incidents of this kind, for example to the antisemitism commissioner of their federal state. These commissioners then coordinate nationwide. In every case the identity of perpetrators and victims should be categorised and, where necessary, anonymised. A standardised set of questions put to the perpetrators would help to identify the sources of radicalisation and to respond with appropriate preventive or repressive measures. State and society must grasp today that fascism – including Islamic fascism – has to be dealt with not reactively but, in their own interest, proactively.
It is nothing new, but it remains as true as ever: today it is the Jews, and tomorrow it will be the turn of the others.
