Suche
Mein Konto
Racism in focus: SPD councilor is attacked with hostility on Facebook!
Current events in Minden-Lübbecke: Racism incident at the SPD, closure of Hugo's bar and new findings in a murder case.
Racism in focus: SPD councilor is attacked with hostility on Facebook!
An incident in Cologne is causing different reactions: Samir Alnajjar, the newly elected councilor of the SPD, has published a racist letter on his Facebook page in which he is attacked because of his Syrian origins. Such attacks can be observed not only at the political level, but also in many areas of our society.
Another scandal comes from fire and rescue station 9 in Cologne, where a calendar with the birthdays of Nazi greats such as Joseph Goebbels and Adolf Hitler was found. This highlights a climate of fear and silence within the emergency services, where employees with a migrant background experience discrimination. According to reports, racist jokes have already been made and a paramedic who protested against right-wing sentiment among his colleagues lost his job. Johanniter Accident Aid, which employs more than 6,000 people at around 300 stations, is in focus because the company insists on helping all people regardless of nationality or culture, but in practice apparently fails in many cases. The organization announced an investigation and promises preventive measures to promote an open and respectful working environment in the future. However, it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to solve the structural problems.
Racism in the emergency services and beyond
The problem of racism affects various areas of life. Statistical data shows that in 2024 over 21% of Germans will be considered manifestly xenophobic, a worrying increase compared to previous years. Discrimination occurs in many forms: be it that requests for housing are ignored because of a foreign-sounding name, or that people with a migrant background are systematically ignored in jobs. Even gay gatherings are often not immune to discriminatory statements.
In addition, the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency documents that there were around 11,400 requests for advice about discrimination in 2024, which shows that awareness of experiences of discrimination is growing in society. This is a positive sign, but it also brings back awareness of the structural inequality that is often associated with skin color, origin or gender.
Public reactions and social responsibility
The discovery of racist incidents in the fire department touches society's nerves. A rethink is required here. People who are involved in an aid organization should set a good example and not tolerate such incidents. It takes courage to speak out against discriminatory behavior, but the price can be high, as the sanitation protester's termination shows.
There are numerous discussions across the region about covering the costs of “wrong trips” in the emergency services, which also shows how financial and social pressure can lead to hardening of positions.
It remains to be hoped that such incidents will not only be discussed after the fact, but that people will actively promote respectful and open cooperation. Cologne is a colorful city with different cultures, and that is precisely what makes it so attractive. Let’s manage to eliminate racism in all forms and live a more inclusive society. That is the challenge of our time.
In summary, these events show once again that racism is not just a distant problem, but affects a part of our everyday lives. The hope for a respectful future requires active action and a willingness to change.