Extremism

With the volunteer fire Department against extremism

With raids, the police has taken action against authors of hate messages in the network. The Federal government wants to extremely fight extremism not only with Repression but also the prevention of it. From Berlin, Sabine Kinkartz.

It was a relatively long agenda, which had to execute the Federal Cabinet this Wednesday. Under point seven, and thus at the end of the “strategy of the Federal government for extremism prevention and the promotion of democracy”. Quite a bulky formulation for a brand-new Problem. Hatred and violence have increased in Germany at an alarming rate. The perpetrators are to be found among right-wing extremists, as well as among left-wing extremists and Islamists. 68 percent of German citizens have according to a recent survey the fear of political extremism, are 19 per cent more than last year.

While the left attack extremists police officers and cars on fire, right-wing extremists, their violence, particularly against refugees and foreigners. Especially in the Internet, new threats, assaults, slurs, extremist content, as well as blatant calls are daily to crime and violence. Increasingly hate-lists”, where the names, addresses and employers of persons are listed, in the fight against extremism are circulating “. Also journalists and politicians who take a position, to be threatened and assaulted.

More money for prevention ….

Have to see the political leaders for too long sitting on the sidelines? This accusation, want the Federal Minister of family Affairs Manuela Schwesig (SPD) and Federal Minister of the interior Thomas de Maizière (CDU), of course not, even if you allow for deficits. “I don’t think we were on all of the fields strong enough,” says Schwesig and de Maizière added that it just got mangled in the prevention to date of a common strategy. “We need to find that everything was useful, but much of it also side by side, or at least not matched.”

Exactly that’s about to change now. The Federal government, Länder and municipalities should work together in the future, better preventive. The “strategy for extremism prevention and the promotion of democracy” focuses on political education, educational work and the support of civil society networks and initiatives. Currently, the Federal Ministry for family Affairs, promotes already existing programs, with 50 million euros. In 2017, the sum should be doubled. The Federal Ministry of the interior in this year, twelve million euros, this amount should be significantly increased.

…. also in the sports Association and the fire Department

Prevention is a task for the whole society, says de Maizière. “It starts in families and schools, in mosques, sports clubs and on the street.” It is a matter of social cohesion, is to let people from slipping and to prevent, “that you would to opponents of our community”.

Interior Minister de Maizière and family Minister Schwesig presented their strategy in Berlin

Studies have shown that it is often from the random slopes, which extremist organisations young people were to do the same. There is a pattern, the higher the temptation of an extremist direction, to connect, to belong to “an I-weakness, the lack of success, lack of orientation to the modern world and failure experiences”.

Therefore, money should flow in associations and institutions, “which would not come immediately, that you are the refuge for political education”, formulated by the Federal Minister of the interior. Examples of the district sports Association or the volunteer fire Department. You should set democracy coaches, “to prevent extremists Hiking clubs”. Overall, the promotion of democracy is addressed but not against any extremism, but to develop more strength, “that is what extremism is also always not vulnerable”, says de Maizière.

Law enforcement should also increase

Also online, the Federal government wants to show a stronger presence. “Everywhere should be discussed with adolescents, teachers, parents, and other caregivers, is helped to the exit consent and hate – and hate-to be entered in the network,” says family Minister Schwesig, the want to present in this legislature, a bill. In addition, the strategy will culminate in a “National action plan” against racism and xenophobia.

For refugees, the Cologne politician Henriette Reker made the target of a knife attack

For the Minister of the interior de Maizière also the law enforcement as well as prevention, but it is an important tool in the fight against extremism. Certainly not coincidentally, a Federal held this Wednesday, surprisingly more action to combat hate Postings on the Internet. In the night and the early hours of the morning, police searched in 14 States, the homes of alleged authors of threats, coercion, blackmail, extortion and extremist content on the net.

Criminal law shall apply also in the Internet

Of some 60 accused 36 should belong to a secret Facebook group that glorified, over a period of months Nazism and hate-posting offences such as sedition committed. The investigators were looking for, especially for computers, Smartphones and files. “In our open society, in our democracy there is no single reason, to meet people with hatred, to insult them and scare them,” said Federal Minister of the interior de Maizière. There is no no-go areas, even on the Internet the criminal law.

The day of action but should raise the awareness of the citizens, threats, coercion, threats of violence and calls to Internet crimes reported to the police and report it to the providers. Also, the Provider must take their share of responsibility and be more active. “We are a free democratic society, we demand and promote pluralism of Opinion,” the Minister of the interior. This could belong in a democracy, it is also a tough battle. “But where is the extremism, where hatred and violence begin, there’s the end.”