Many Christian refugees in Germany are afraid of religiously motivated attacks. There is no separation by religion and origin in refugee accommodations so far. This must change, emphasizes Dr. Andreas Thiermeyer.
Interviewer: What do they think the church can and must do??
Dr. Andreas Thiermeyer (Refugee Commissioner of the Eichstatt Diocese): In any case, she should no longer remain silent. I now find this course very good, which is timidly taken after the New Year's Eve in Cologne. We simply have to stop displaying verbal balance, equidistance and political correctness at all costs. Injustice as injustice is to be named. There is no false equidistance here. Life and limb at stake.
Interviewer: Why do such attacks occur in the first place?
Dr. Andreas Thiermeyer: This is due to the spatial situation, the different views of people, different views of men and women and a different understanding of sexuality and certain sexual distresses that some simply feel and experience.
Interviewer: Cardinal Woelki wants to set up a refugee home for Christians only in the Archdiocese of Cologne. Other voices, however, say that's the wrong way to go because it makes integration more difficult. What would be the right way?
Dr. Andreas Thiermeyer: First congratulations to Cardinal Woelki. I am glad that finally a bishop realizes this. We need this shelter for the Christians, on the one hand, in order to process the traumatization. On the other hand, it is also important that we create plausibility structures for our Christian brothers and sisters. This is how integration succeeds very quickly, politically and also ecclesiastically. I think we also need to have houses like this where we can have interested baptism candidates from Islam live with us. They can see here in everyday life, practice what they are getting into. Each diocese would do well to create one or two homes, as Cardinal Woelki is considering.
Interviewer: What happens when the strictly devout Muslim refugees have to leave the home? Expect any consequences?
Dr. Andreas Thiermeyer: I think one must make very clear announcements. Integration can only succeed if basic democratic values are lived out in practice. These include human rights, men and women, freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, separation of church and state. Offenses will be punished whoever commits them. They had also set some criteria, because those who do not make an effort to learn the language, not to work, not to integrate, have no future here.
The interview was conducted by Tobias Fricke.