In an op-ed published by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung today, Aiman Mazyek, chairman of the Central Council of the Muslims in Germany, voices deep shock over the outbreak of violence in Southwest Asia, particularly the murder of innocent humans carried out by Israelis and Palestinians alike. It is of utmost importance in this precarious situation, he says, to make sure that the religions are not taken hostage by hate, because hate is the enemy of humanity. Palestinians and Israelis must enter a dialogue free of hate. Mazyek announced his intent to visit a synagogue in Berlin, after his attending Friday services at a mosque today, to underline that.
In the present context, a stigmatization of all Muslims, as what occurred after 9/11, must be prevented, as the majority of Muslims in Germany support dialogue with the Israelis and other Jewish communities. “The Mideast conflict cannot be solved with violence, it must be negotiated with reason, measure and justice. For that, we need both sides which are ready to talk, instead of weapons,” Mazyek writes.
