Ashrsf AboArafe
The German Ambassador to Cairo, Frank Hartmann, delivered a speech during a panel discussion titled “The Roots of Hate” at embassy on February 4, 2024 as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are gathered here tonight to discuss “The Roots of Hate,” and how xenophobia, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism have become the roots of discrimination, segregation and prejudice in our societies, leading to hatred and even violence.
We are discovering in our Western and European societies a worrying tendency towards a decline in tolerance and acceptance of people of different origins, religion, traditions and language.
The more multifaceted, diverse, multicultural and multiethnic our societies become, the more we try to open up and integrate people from different backgrounds into our societies, the more parts of our societies move away from the concept of a tolerant society and this leads to support for right-wing, xenophobic parties such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Fortunately, a strong popular movement, the “Silent Majority,” has recently emerged in large marches against right-wing extremism and discrimination against people of other origins.
This session begins tonight from a German perspective, revealing the problems our society faces and our attempts to remain an open, democratic society. We do not presume to draw any lessons or make any recommendations to our host community here in Egypt.
You may ask yourselves: Why is this debate being held now, when it is looming over the terrible war in Gaza, and in our immediate neighbourhood? We actually wanted to have this discussion at the end of last year. In view of the war in Gaza and the terrible number of casualties, we have decided to postpone this event. But we didn’t want to avoid having this difficult discussion.
October 7 and the terrorist attack on Israel were a shock to Western societies and to people in Germany. Support for Israel was and remains strong in Germany, and there are reasons for this in our history. But what people often do not understand enough is the long and complex history of the conflict that did not begin on October 7. People in my country are not sufficiently aware of the Palestinian and Arab perspective on the conflict.
What we are witnessing now is a humanitarian catastrophe that has claimed the lives of 1,200 Israelis and more than 27,000 Palestinians. The suffering of the civilian population must end. Every life is equally important and must be protected. We need a humanitarian truce as soon as possible, an end to the fighting on both sides, the release of the hostages and working towards a permanent ceasefire.
The longer the fighting continues and the deeper the wounds of this conflict become, the more the prospects for any decent future life in Gaza diminish, and the more frustration and hatred grows even in the next generation.
Peace for Israel will only be possible when Palestinians live in peace and dignity in their own state. The vicious cycle of violence and hatred that leads to more violence must be broken, and the path towards a political solution must be opened again. We have a shared humanitarian responsibility in this regard.
Our topic tonight will not lead us to any new visions for a political solution to Gaza. But it may give us some new ideas about how to overcome hatred and growing polarization and develop more tolerance to accept the other side’s point of view a little more. This begins with empathy for the suffering of the other party’s victims.
People tend to believe all information that reinforces their bias towards the side of the conflict they support, and reject all information that contradicts it. The result: more polarization, more demonization, more hatred, and more violence. Instead, we must adhere to our individual, independent and critical judgment.
We consider it our duty to:
– Investigating the root causes of hatred,
– Showing the negative impact that collective hatred has on individuals and on societies as a whole,
– But also to work on developing a positive outlook: we want to show that it is possible to overcome hatred,
– That the demons of the past can be exorcised,
– Knowledge and education are the key to fortifying individuals and societies.
Diversity does not represent a threat, but rather an advantage and blessing.
On this difficult journey, we have invited some experienced experts, namely:
– Professor Suzanne Kamel will talk to us about discrimination and diversity.
– Mrs. Frida Ataman, Federal Government Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, is a strong voice against discrimination and for an open society,
– Mrs. Serpil Unvar, whose son was killed in a racist murder attack in Hanau, turned her grief into action against hatred and discrimination,
– Mr. Dervis Hezarci, who was our guest last year, is a German of Turkish origins who works against anti-Semitism in education in Berlin,
– And Dr. Youssef Zidan, the Egyptian writer and thinker, who will inform us of the Egyptian point of view.
I also welcome the five young artists who are here with us tonight and whose work is on display in these rooms. Thanks also go to Mr. Mina Nashi, who helped organize the exhibition.
I wish you a useful and controversial discussion.
