“Dialogue ensures humanity and human dignity”

On the occasion of the state act commemorating the victims of the murders committed by the National Socialist Underground (NSU) group tomorrow, Thursday, the President of the Humanist Association of Germany, Frieder Otto Wolf, today reminded everyone that thinking based on open reason and humanist attitudes are incompatible with racist and other xenophobic beliefs and actions. “The relatives and friends of the many victims of the NSU can be sure of our sympathy,” said Frieder Otto Wolf and called for the calls for minutes of silence to be supported or for them to be held themselves. “At the same time, people with a humanistic perspective should see themselves called upon anew to work on overcoming the cultural complexes in which right-wing extremist, racist and violence-promoting ideas can arise and flourish.” Wolf reminded the audience that such ideas are still widespread in all regions of Germany. “The views spread around the NSU and other national socialist-oriented groups are also part of the irrational belief systems that we must continue to address in order to secure a culture of peace and humanity between our communities,” Wolf continued. All rational and compassionate people should therefore see it as their duty to continue to educate. “In doing so, we must take a clear stance and draw boundaries with those who are committed to spreading ideas that promote violence and inhumanity. And we must become more open to dialog with those who are targeted by the dissemination of such ideas,” said Wolf. Dialogue with those who can still be gripped by inhumane ideologies, which is suitable for sustainable enlightenment and immunizes against inhumane ideas, opens up safe paths for those affected from their restricted worlds of imagination to rational and tolerant perspectives and attitudes. It makes an indispensable contribution to safeguarding humanity and human dignity. “Simply taking an unequivocal stand for common humanity can help to protect the lives or integrity of others,” emphasized Wolf. “When people take a peaceful and consistent stand against the spread of the ideas and cultural complexes that underlie xenophobic thought and action, they not only support important ideals of humanism, but also act in the spirit of one of its best traditions.”