The German interior minster is introducing a raft of anti-terror measures in response to a rising fear that the country could be afflicted by the same level of terrorism that has struck France. The proposals from Thomas de Maiziere include a ban on the wearing of the burqa in public places. If this becomes law, it will mirror legislation introduced by former president Nicolas Sarkozy in France. De Maiziere needs to think carefully about this idea. The first question he needs to ask is if terrorism has decreased since Sarkozy's ban. Clearly it has not. Therefore, as an "anti-terror" measure, it could be seen as a complete failure. It could, however, be rated a success for the men of violence. The insidious message of Daesh (the self-proclaimed IS) is that Europeans and North Americans are out to destroy Islam. Any ban on Muslim women choosing to cover up in public thus fits this narrative. It could, therefore, be argued that Sarkozy's racist measure has actually reinforced the lies of Daesh in France. So a covering-up ban in Germany is very likely to be counterproductive. Equally the German minister should look at the statistics. The burqa is rarely worn in Germany. A ban on something that is not there to ban is a foolish piece of legislation because it achieves the very opposite of what it is supposed to achieve. It will empower ignorant racists to treat every Muslim woman wearing a decorous head covering as if she were breaking the law. It will give quasi-judicial cover to Islamophobes who regard any manifestation of the Muslim faith as an offense, as a cause for disturbance and even violence. At a time when Germany is threatened by Daesh bigots, it does not do to empower white German bigots as well. It must be hoped the Chancellor Angela Merkel will look carefully at de Maiziere's anti-terror proposals, not least his burqa ban, to ensure that they do not in fact exacerbate the problem that they are designed to tackle. Merkel and the great majority of Germans have behaved with exemplary kindness and generosity to the waves of largely Syrian migrants who have sought refuge in their country. Merkel knew the political risks she was running when she offered a welcome for a million refugees. Close allies warned that she was destroying support and playing into the hands of the racists of the Pegida movement and the Alternative für Deutschland party. But this courageous politician has stuck to her guns, determined to demonstrate that the strength of modern Germany lies in its tolerance and civilized behavior toward those in desperate need. Despite tensions and limited acts of terror, events have so far proved Merkel right, to the shame of other European countries which have laagered down and shut their borders against the tide of refugee misery. Certainly her government needs to take whatever further measures are necessary to fend off the scourge of Daesh terrorism. Berlin can learn much from Saudi Arabia which has faced down a far greater terrorist menace. But it is imperative that these measures are proportional and reflect the real dangers that Germans, and those who have come to Germany as guests, are facing. When all is said and done, it cannot be that the wearing of the burqa is one of them.
