DW launches investigation into antisemitism allegations
DW Director General Peter Limbourg: "To carry out the independent investigation, DW was able to appoint two specialists with a particularly high-level expertise for this task: former German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger and psychologist Ahmad Mansour. I thank them both for their contribution in bringing a prompt resolution to what has been a difficult time for DW."
All DW employees have a duty of loyalty to act in the best interests of DW's values and strategies, both internally and externally. These principles include DW's clear commitment to Israel's right to exist and a clear stance against antisemitism. This also applies to private profiles on social media.
"Certainly, the accusations raised here are to be taken very seriously, and it is good that DW's management also sees it that way. However, the task entrusted to me demands that I approach this with openness, neutrality and the respect and sense of responsibility it deserves," said Ahmad Mansour.
Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger: "DW's values and principles must be understood and lived by its staff. Violations of this code, as described here, are serious and therefore deserve careful scrutiny."
The mandate of the independent investigation includes the full clarification of the reported incidents, the examination of possible failures within the organization and the recommendation of preventive measures for the future. The employees concerned are suspended from work for the duration of the investigation.
DW's management will draw the appropriate conclusions without delay based on the results of the investigation.
Ahmad Mansour
Born a Palestinian in Israel, psychologist and author Ahmad Mnsour almost became a radical Islamist. Today, he is one of Germany's most important experts on Islamism. In 2018, Mansour founded an initiative for democracy promotion and extremism prevention that carries out projects and training in the education and integration sectors, the police department and correctional facilities. Mansour is persistently committed to combating antisemitism. He published several books in German, including "Generation Allah. Warum wir im Kampf gegen religiösen Extremismus umdenken müssen" (Translated: Generation Allah: Why We Need to Rethink the Fight against Religious Extremism) in 2015, followed in August 2018 by "Klartext zur Integration - Gegen falsche Toleranz und Panikmache" (Translated: Plain Talk on Integration: Against False Tolerance and Scaremongering). His third book, "Solidarisch Sein! Gegen Rassismus, Antisemitismus und Hass" (Translated: In solidarity Against Racism, Antisemitism and Hatred) was published in October 2020. He is also a recipient of numerous awards, including the AJC Ramer Prize for Courage 'In The Defense of Democracy' in 2013 and the Moses Mendelssohn Prize in 2014. In 2015, the Jewish Community of Düsseldorf honored Mansour as the first Muslim with the Josef Neuberger Medal for his special services to the Jewish community. In 2019, Mansour received the Human Rights Award of the Gerhart and Renate Baum Foundation.
Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger
First elected to the German Bundestag for the FDP in 1990, Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger became Federal Minister of Justice in 1992. Later, as a member of parliament, she was, among other roles, the spokeswoman on legal policy for the FDP parliamentary group and served as deputy parliamentary FDP leader between 2001 and 2002 and from 2005 to 2009. In the 17th legislative period, Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger was once again appointed Federal Minister of Justice. Since January 2019, she has been honorary State Commissioner for the Fight against Antisemitism in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Together with her staff in Düsseldorf, she is the point of contact for victims of antisemitism. She supports social initiatives advocating preventive measures and combating antisemitism.
