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When it comes to extremism, Germany does not hesitate for long. The list of organizations and groups classified as extremist by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution is long: nine organizations alone have been banned because they are associated with ‘foreign-related extremism’. Another twenty because they are linked to Islamist terrorism.
This also applies to the ‘anti-Semitic and extremist’ Palestinian group Samidoun, which has been on the list since early November. Because: “Anti-Semitism has no place in Germany, we will fight it with all our might,” Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (53) explained the measure. At the same time, the ban on the terrorist group Hamas, which attacked Israel in early October, also came into effect at the beginning of this month. In Switzerland it is different.
Anyone who doesn’t call for violence isn’t an extremist, right?
In this country you can be openly anti-democratic and express it. As long as you do not call for violence and do not commit violence, the authorities will take no action. Dirk Baier, extremism expert at the University of Zurich, explains this in an interview with Blick. It is therefore no wonder that many groups and organizations that are banned in Germany are moving to Switzerland as an alternative.
Neo-Nazi concerts, conversion therapy providers, Islamist groups, Reich citizens and state objectors – all this is banned in Germany, but not in Switzerland. This also applies to the now banned group Samidoun. As “NZZ am Sonntag” reported at the end of October, the network has been active in Switzerland for some time. However, the Swiss intelligence service has not taken any action so far.
So is this the German prohibition culture – or is it already Swiss naivete? Baier says: “You can now argue about whether the Swiss perspective is good or bad.” But he himself would like Switzerland to “define red lines more quickly”. He says: “We know that the spread of extremist ideas can be a precursor to the extremist use of violence; “In this regard, we should more quickly draw red lines regarding the spread of ideologies.”
Swiss politicians are now also responding accordingly. SVP Grand Councilor Alfred Heer (62) calls for a ban at national level in the “NZZ am Sonntag”, in Basel SVP Grand Councilor Joel Thüring (39) submitted an interpellation. He also demands that Samidoun events be banned in the canton.
Due to Switzerland’s cautious attitude towards groups such as the Reichsbürger or Samidoun, these groups would discover Switzerland as a refuge, says Dirk Baier. This would not necessarily mean that more extremist acts are being committed in Switzerland. But Switzerland would become a Mecca for the strategic minds of these groups, the extremism expert warns. “And that cannot be Switzerland’s goal: to become a destination for extremist emigrants.”
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
