26.08.2024

"We call to stay vigilant!"

image by: Johannes Schermuly, UEM

On Friday in Solingen (neighbor City of Wuppertal, Germany), the nightmare of any free and pluralistic society became reality when an individual indiscriminately attacked people with a knife, killing three, injuring many, and traumatizing countless others.

Like most of us, we are stunned and at a loss for words, feeling grief and anger without knowing the right words to express it.

In our shock and our search for how to cope with this, we also believe that it's important to allow ourselves to experience these feelings before rushing to find solutions, before hastily categorizing and labeling people as good or bad, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

What worries us is that this is already happening — in certain right wing media, in politics, and most prominently in the comment sections of social media. People with migration backgrounds, refugees, and especially Muslims are coming under generalized scrutiny.

A man who migrated from Iran many years ago said at a memorial event in Solingen on Saturday that he is in complete shock because an Iranian friend of his was one of the victims of the attack. At the same time, he fears being subjected to blanket prejudgment by those around him and in daily life. This fear adds to his grief and anger. He doesn't wish to be quoted by name, which is why we don't mention him at this point.

Grief and anger must not turn into hatred. Grief and anger must not lead us to stop thinking and empathizing. That’s why we urge all our UEM employees and those who are close to us at UEM to stay vigilant and to reflect critically on the often simplistic answers that arise. "Where words fail, perhaps gestures do not," said City Dean Rev. Mohr on Saturday in Solingen.

Even in grief and anger, we can contribute to covering this world and society with love — perhaps now more than ever! We call on everyone to remain engaged in conversation and, where necessary, to introduce different perspectives into the dialogue.

Let us help ensure that society does not become divided, but rather that we, as Christians, are the glue that binds, holds together, and spreads hope and love.

The UEM Management Team