Muslim groups and politicians angrily warned Wednesday that a German government campaign aimed at countering the radicalisation of young Muslims could prove more divisive than helpful.
Posters showing black and white photos of young Muslims in the form of a ‘Missing Persons’ notice will be posted in three German cities with large immigrant populations as part of a programme by the interior ministry.
The posters urge parents, teachers or friends to seek help from an advice centre if they suspect someone they know is becoming influenced by extremist views, but opponents say they are unfair.
“The notices suggest that everyone can be a terrorist or fanatic,” Aydan Ozoguz, a member of the main opposition Social Democrats who is tasked with integration matters, fumed to AFP.
Four big organisations representing Muslims in Germany, including from the Turkish and Bosnian communities, say they have “frozen” their involvement in the project out of protest.
“It’s to be feared that the poster campaign, in its present form, creates new areas of conflict and fails in its goal,” they said in a joint statement adding the posters would only “sow mistrust”.
Although the campaign is not due to begin until September 21, when the posters are to be displayed in districts of Berlin, the northern port city of Hamburg and Bonn, in the west, the posters can already be seen on the Internet.
“This is our son Ahmad,” one reads. “We miss him because we no longer recognise him. He is becoming increasingly withdrawn and every day becomes more radical.”
An interior ministry spokeswoman stressed however that the campaign had been approved by the organisations.