"We are friends"

Rabbi and imam tour schools together

Rabbi Schlomo Hofmeister (left) and Imam Ramazan Demir in front of the Old Cathedral in Linz(Bild: Einöder Horst)

The Gaza war is fueling anti-Semitism and hostility towards Muslims. Two different religious representatives are joining forces in Upper Austria on a mission to schools to counteract this. "We appear together and show that we are friends. That alone is enough to shake things up," say the two. The "Krone" was present at a workshop.

"What is a rabbi?" - that was the first question asked by around 120 sixth graders at the HAK Rudigierstraße in Linz. And the second: "Is the hat compulsory?" Rabbi Schlomo Hofmeister was the great unknown for the young people. A Jew.

On the way to the lecture for Imam Ramazan Demir, however, there were already expressions of respect from the students. No wonder, as around 170 of the students at this HAK are Muslims themselves. "We stand together and show that we are friends. That alone is enough to shake things up," say the rabbi and the imam, who have been touring the country for ten years as "ambassadors for social coexistence". And have now visited a school in Upper Austria for the first time.

The two friends on a "divine mission" at the HAK in Linz(Bild: Margot Haag)

60 percent more assaults
The figures show just how necessary their mission is: In the previous year, real attacks and those on the internet against Muslims and Jews rose by up to 60 percent to 2669 documented cases. The Gaza war is fueling this development enormously. "The problem is that children and young people get their information unfiltered from social media," says Islamic religion teacher Hajret Beluli, who had invited the unlikely duo to Linz.

Although the expected discussion was frothy, when the Gaza conflict came up, one pupil said that the Koran says that Israel will lose this war. "Wait, where does it say that in the Koran?" asked the imam - and even "googling" didn't turn up anything like that ...

There are 170,000 Muslims in Upper Austria and only a few are radicalized. There is no tolerance for them, nor for all radicals, regardless of which corner they come from.

Integrationslandesrat Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer

20 more school visits
The rabbi's balancing statements that the Jewish faith should not be equated with the state of Israel also caused some puzzled faces. "But that's exactly why we're here, to show other points of view," said the two friends. Their mission is to be continued in Upper Austria at the instigation of Integration Councillor Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer: The unlikely duo have already pledged 20 more school visits.

Kommentar

Kampf gegen Windmühlen

"You can save your friends" - these were the imam's emphatic words in front of around 120 pupils. Saving them was not about salvation, but about crime and therefore prison, radicalization and topics such as forced marriage.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV, Alexander Schwarzl, Markus Wenzel)

The lectures and workshops, such as those given by the rabbi and the imam, are important and right. But it is a fight against windmills.

Because their opponents are agitators who lurk on the internet and whose methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Above all, these pied pipers are always there, not just for an hour in class. It is uncertain whether the good guys can win.