Islamophobia and anti-Arab baiting reaches new heights in Germany

Fadi Madi, the main promoter of the "Arab Islamic Conference in Berlin" banned on the 20th of September 2004, was illegally deported to Lebanon two days before. The authorities legitimised their move with the claim that Madi would be "close to an association violating the penal code" without further elaborating. They did not even mention which association they intended. On the contrary, the ministry of interior of the state of Berlin explicitly conceded that no evedidence could be provided for the alleged connection with such an organisation.

Eventually the preliminary proceedings in the case of Fadi Madi were closed by November 24. Not even the belongings of Madi have been searched. All this makes clear that the ban of the congress as well as his deportation was without legal base and exclusively politically motivated – thus violating the rule of law.

The deportation and the ban of the congress mark the climax of a systematic campaign by the German media and authorities. They claimed that the Arab Islamic Congress "endorse major felonies", "is lobbying for the bloody resistance ("Der Spiegel") and is "aggressively anti-Semitic" ("Die Welt"). No facts what so ever were provided to back these attacks. The organisers of the congress merely denounced the illegal occupation of Palestine and Iraq and supported the right to national self-determination in line with the UN charter.

Today in Germany it seems nearly impossible to defend the legitimacy of the resistance according to international law – let alone if Arabs and Muslims wish to participate in the debate. The established political parties and the main media outlets react with the same pattern: critical voices from the Arab and Muslim community are denounced as Islamist.

The governments of the European Union are importing the "permanent war on terror" to Europe transforming it into a cultural and police campaign against the European Muslims. While the Dutch mosques are burning, Muslims are being labelled as anti-democratic. We are within a general mobilisation for the US-led crusade against Islam.

The federal minister of interior, Schily, reproached Fadi Madi so-called "international terrorism". While this notion of terrorism is an amalgam criminalising any political criticism to the imperialist system, Fadi Madi used the term in a very exact and appropriate way: the Israeli and US occupation of Palestine and Iraq is the real terrorism directed against the people. On this he is in line with renowned intellectuals like Noam Chomsky who called Sharon "ach terrorist", the Israeli war against Lebanon an "example for international terrorism" and the USA the "leading terrorist state". If this violates the penal code than free thought and expression has already been abolished.

Only the consequent struggle against the discrimination of Muslims in Europe and for the withdrawal of the US-led occupation troops in the Middle East and in Central Asia will be able to raise enough force to resist and stop the destruction of the elementary democratic rights.

Association Initiativ e.V., Duisburg, Germany

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Legal cases have been filed to cancel Fadi Madi´s illegal deportation and the anti-democratic ban of the congress. The lawyers have to be paid. Therefore we ask for donations to be transferred under the code "Fadi Madi" to:

Bank account at Bank Austria
Wilhelm Langthaler
BIC OPSKATWW
IBAN AT646000000092125137