FIR condemns the terrorist attack in Vienna

3. November 2020

With disgust and indignation, the FIR had heard about the terrorist attack in Vienna. Based on the statements of the Austrian ministry of the Interior fanatical Muslims should be responsible for this action. It does not actually matter which group of perpetrators is responsible for this attack. It is and remains a despicable crime.

The coordinated action of the perpetrators of Vienna shows that this was not a spontaneous action, but rather a long-term planned action. The question arises, if so-called “endangerers” have been in the sights of the domestic secret services for a long time, why they did not react in time and appropriately. Such terrorist acts of violence never serve to enforce political ideas, but create a climate of fear and violence to which the security forces of the country concerned usually react by restricting democratic freedoms for all people. It is precisely in such situations, however, that democratic societies must defend the freedom of every individual. This does not work by reducing freedom rights, but only with a strong civil society in which social integration, tolerance and social opportunities are opened up for all people living in the country.

The women and men in the anti-fascist resistance and the soldiers of the anti-Hitler coalition did not liberate Europe from the barbarism of Nazism in 1945 and tried to push back the fascist ideology, only to find today that the achievements of their struggle are endangered by the dismantling of democratic rights and freedoms, by xenophobia and increasing intolerance.

The FIR and its member federations condemn such violent actions, express their sympathy to the victims and their relatives and explain clearly: In our countries terrorism, racism, xenophobia and intolerance have no place. We stand up for this with all forces of the civil society.