Fight gender apartheid! Against all extremism!

Addressees: German Federal Government, Federal Foreign Office,European Commission, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

 

The terrorist acts of recent weeks have once again shown how dangerous Islamism is. Violence does not emerge in a vacuum; religious extremism must be combated before it breeds violence and terror. As with right-wing extremist assassins, the dehumanization of women is a fundamental component of Islamist ideology. Gender apartheid begins where the separation of the sexes is demanded and enforced and where women and girls are threatened if they want to exercise their freedom rights.

Therefore, every form of misogyny must be fought!

This includes not only countering the most widespread form of violence against women, domestic violence, fully implementing the requirements of the Istanbul Convention, but also recognizing and resolutely countering hatred of women as a dangerous undercurrent for extremism and terrorism.

The reactions of state representatives of Turkey, Pakistan, Chechnya or the Iranian regime to the terrorist attacks have shown that extremism and terrorism can only be countered internationally and that foreign policy cannot be seen in isolation from countering extremism at home.

We therefore call for a change in both domestic and foreign policy to uphold and promote women's rights and combat violence against women.

At home, consistent action must be taken against the curtailment of women's rights, especially to protect women and girls from Islamic communities, that is:

• The consistent prosecution of female genital mutilation, child marriages and forced marriages, as well as the nationwide, financial support of contact points and women's shelters for affected women and girls, because despite prohibitions, girls and women continue to be threatened by these harmful practices.
• The criminal prosecution of those who use threats of violence to force women into "chaste" behavior, e.g. to determine the love lives, clothing and social contacts of female family members.
• The separate recording of so-called honor killings, in which the perpetrator(s) state(s) as a motive that the woman has behaved "unchastely," too "Western" and/or contrary to religious rules. These murders are also intended to deter other women in the community from exercising their fundamental rights, and thus constitute terror against the rights of women guaranteed in the Basic Law, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Istanbul Convention.

The protection of students from radicalization in schools:

• Preventive work against all forms of radicalization must be expanded with ideologically neutral actors.
• As soon as teachers detect signs of radicalization, schools must be provided with a package of concrete assistance measures and trained personnel. This assistance should be organized and borne by the federal government. Consequences should follow for the following signs:
• Refusal to teach, for example, the subjects of sex education, the Holocaust, evolution, the Armenian genocide
• Demands for gender segregation, prayer rooms, prayer breaks
• If students repeatedly insult other children because of their origin and/or religious convictions or world view, e.g., anti-Semitic insults, or stigmatize classmates who behave "dishonorably" in their eyes
• Proactive outreach to parents through education about the lasting consequences of violence against women for society, funded by federal resources.

Extremist organizations are often funded by foreign patrons with misogynistic agendas. The federal and state governments also repeatedly support organizations in the extremist spectrum. Therefore, we demand legal regulations for transparency of funding of non-profit organizations and the cessation of state funding of and cooperation with religious institutions and representatives for the purpose of integration. Integration should always be about individuals, not collectivizing people by origin and perceived religious affiliation.

Like the right-wing extremist assassins who belong to the incel scene, Islamist assassins also show a pronounced hatred of women.

We appeal to the German government and the European Commission to counter all regimes in which gender apartheid prevails with consistent sanctions and to isolate them.

Misogyny, anti-Semitism and homophobia must be outlawed internationally and those forces that stand up for democracy, freedom and equality must be strengthened.

We appeal to you to take the threat to our liberal and democratic societies seriously and to fight extremism. Only through consistent action against all forms of discrimination against women and girls and gender apartheid can extremism be deprived of its basis.

Authors:

• Mina Ahadi, Chairperson of the Central Council of Ex-Muslims in Germany
• Naïla Chikhi, independent consultant for integration and women's policy
• Rebecca Schönenbach, Chairwoman of Women for Freedom e. V.

Supporters:

• Rana Ahmad, Vorstand der Säkularen Flüchtlingshilfe e.V.
• Avzin Arbilly, freie Jounalistin
• Ulrike Becker, Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin
• Halina Bendkowski, Agentin für Feminismus & Geschlechterdemokratie
• Brigitta Biehl, Rechtsanwältin, Mitfrau bei Terre des Femmes
• Nazanin Borumand, Zentralrat der Ex-Muslime
• Vera Botterbusch, Autorin und Regisseurin, Filmemacherin und Fotografin,
• Mitglied in BBK, PEN (Präsidium) und VS
• Carola Dengler, säkulare Feministin
• Birgit Ebel, Lehrerin und Gründerin der Präventions- und Empowermentinitiative „extremdagegen!“
• Davina Ellis, unabhängige Denkerin
• Manijeh Erfani-Far, Frauenrechtlerin, Frankfurt
• Ninve Ermagan, Journalistin
• Mitra Fazeli, Frauenrechtlerin, Dortmund
• Verena Claudia Fuchslocher, Familientherapeutin, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Mannheim
• Melanie Götz, Soziologin, Mitglied TERRE DES FEMMES e. V.
• Krystyna Grendus, stv. Sprecherin der Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Säkulare Grüne
• Dr. Elvira Grözinger, 2. Vors. SPME-Germany
• Sina Heshmati, Frauenrechtlerin, Essen
• Prof. Dr. Barbara Holland-Cunz, Politikwissenschaftlerin (i.R.), Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen
• Dr. Agnes Imhof, Islamwissenschaftlerin und Autorin
• Monireh Kazemi, Frauenrechtlerin, Frankfurt
• Dr. Sylke Kirschnick, Literaturwissenschaftlerin
• Stephanie Koch, Dipl. Bibliothekarin
• Birgit Kreipe, Psychologin
• Carola Kullmann, Pens.
• Véronique Le Métayer, Lehrerin, Berlin
• Ute Lefelmann-Petersen, Coach und interkulturelle Trainerin, Sprecherin der LAG Säkulare Bündnis90/Grüne Schleswig-Holstein
• Sandra Mai-Duffner, Realschullehrerin, Mitglied B90/Die Grünen KV Schwarzwald-Baar
• Hannah Melms, Massagetherapeutin
• Doro Meuren, Dipl.-Soz., Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Weinheim
• Gita Neumann, Dipl.-Psychologin
• Barbara Nieter, Musikwissenschaftlerin
• Mahshid Pegahi Frauenrechtlerin, Frankfurt
• Eva Quistorp, MdEP a. D.
• Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, Europadirektorin American Jewish Committee (AJC)
• Sabine Röseler, Politologin
• Helke Sander, Regisseurin
• Viola Schäfer, Dipl.- Psychologin
• Dr. Doris Schöps, Lehrerin, Berlin
• Monika Schröder, Lehrerin
• Prof. Dr. Susanne Schröter, Ethnologin
• Patricia Stempel, Sozialwissenschaftlerin
• Jale Taleb Hariri, Frauenrechtlerin, Berlin
• Nicole Thies, säkulare Feministin / Aktivistin für Frauen- als Menschenrechte
• Helga Tilp, Rentnerin (Lehrerin i. R.)
• Rahima Valena, B90/Die Grünen
• Hannah Wettig, freie Publizistin, B90/Die Grünen
• Maya Zehden, Vizepräsidentin, Deutsch-Israelische Gesellschaft e.V.
• Nariman (Nachname aus Sicherheitsgründen zurückgehalten), Zentralrat der Ex- Muslime

Unterstützer:

• AK Frauenpolitik, Kreisverband Böblingen, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen
• Gero Ambrosius, Dipl.-Sozialpädagoge
• Wolfgang Benn, Ärztlicher Psychotherapeut, Weinheim
• Initiative Ehrlos Statt Wehrlos‘
• Matheus Hagedorny, Mitglied im Präsidium der Deutsch-Israelischen Gesellschaft e.V.
• Joachim Helfer, Schriftsteller, Berlin
• Werner Koch, gbs Stuttgart, Säkulare Flüchtlingshilfe Stuttgart
• Ulrich Kurz, Ortsverband Herrenberg und Gäu, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen
• Dr. Remko Leemhuis, Direktor American Jewish Committee (AJC) Berlin Lawrence & Lee Ramer Institute for German-Jewish Relations
• Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin e.V.
• Paul Nellen, Dipl.-Pol., Autor und Journalist, Grüne Hamburg/BAG Säkulare GRÜNE
• Ralf Nestmeyer, Schriftsteller und Vizepräsident des deutschen PEN-Zentrums
• Walter Otte, Rechtsanwalt, Sprecher der Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Säkulare Grüne
• Säkulare Flüchtlingshilfe e.V., Deutschland
• Dr. Friedrich-K. Schmidt, Arzt für Allgemeinmedizin, Weinheim