Before a conference on May 8 entitled "Islamic Scarf - Symbol of Dignity or Oppression?" At the Goethe University Frankfurt, a debate about freedom of speech has broken out.
One group called online to remove the organizer of the event, ethnology professor Susanne Schröter, from office and to cancel the conference. Several media had reported on the incident.
The conference is hosted by the Frankfurt Research Center Global Islam (FFGI), whose director is Schröter. The list of speakers includes "Emma" founder Alice Schwarzer, the German-Turkish women's rights activist and sociologist Necla Kelek as board member of "Terre des Femmes" and the journalist Khola Maryam Hübsch, who opposes a headscarf ban. The event is under the patronage of the Hessian Minister for Social Affairs and Integration.
"Right-wing populists would receive approval"
The opponents of the conference, posing as students of the University of Frankfurt, wrote under the name "Uni against AMR - no place for anti-Muslim racism" via Instagram under the slogan "#schroeter_raus": "Especially today with the rising saleability of right-wing populism "In Germany, people wearing the headscarf will be victims of right-wing violence and racism, and these right-wing populists would be well received by the conference." The account is no longer accessible.
The President of the Goethe University, Birgitta Wolff, comments in a statement: "As part of the freedom of scholarship, Goethe University departments, institutes and professorships are not only free to organize events on their own and with their own thematic orientation expressly part of their duties ". Wolff emphasizes the "different voices" of the conference, which deal with the mentioned question. The Bureau can not and does not want to interfere in this.
University is behind Schröter
"The presidium is not a discourse police," writes Wolff. "We also emphatically reject attempts by some circles to appoint themselves as the" Disciplinary Police "." Social media platforms were available to any group for free expression, statements such as "schroeter_raus", however, had nothing to do with a scientific or democratic discourse and were "unworthy". The General Students Committee (AStA) also distanced itself from the action according to "Faz" and "Welt".
At the moment it is unclear who is responsible for the protests. The scientist's office is currently in search of the authors. "We do not know who's behind it," said Office Manager and Research Coordinator Oliver Bertrand. It is assumed, however, that they are students of the University of Frankfurt. The criticized event under the auspices of the Hessian state government would take place in any case.