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Politics

Quadriga - Rise of Terror - Civil Liberties in Danger?

February 19, 2015

In the wake of terror attacks in Paris, Brussels and Copenhagen it seems that fundamental rights can often only be exercised in Europe under police protection? Is the cancellation of public events in the wake of terror tip-offs, and the exodus of Jewish citizens who feel threatened a sign that Europe is losing the battle?

https://p.dw.com/p/1EelT

Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt has said that an attack on Jewish citizens is an attack on Denmark. So far Europe has reacted with a show of unity and a determination to defend its values and not to be intimidated. At the same time Governments are also encouraging citizens to be tolerant towards people with different religious beliefs. But voices critical of false interpretations of religion that sow the seeds of hatred have also been raised. There is much debate on how to deal with religious extremism?

Gedenkveranstaltung in Kopenhagen
Image: Reuters/H. Hanschke
kopenhagen terror attentäter dänemark synagoge kulturzentrum anschläge
Image: reuters

Following the release of a video which appears to show the decapitation of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians Cairo has launched military strikes against an IS-affiliated group in Libya. The video showing the execution of Coptic Christians appears to have been shot on the Mediterranean coast just across the water from Europe. The message is clear the terrorists have Europe in their sights. How close are they? Three Muslims were also killed last week in a shooting in the US which media and authorities have been reluctant to define as terrorism or even as a hate crime. How dangerous is it to practice a different faith? Is the peaceful co-existence of different cultures and faiths under threat?

Trauer um getötete Juden in Dänemark
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Lindhardt

What do you think? Write to us: quadriga(at)dw.de

Our guests:

23.05.2013 DW Quadriga Alan Posener

Alan Posener– was born in London and grew up in Kuala Lumpur and West - Berlin. A teacher by training, he quit school to become a freelance author and journalist. He worked as an editor and author for the German newspaper “Die Welt” and was chief of commentary for "Welt am Sonntag".

14.08.2014 DW Quadriga Antje Bauer

Antje Bauer - The freelance journalist majored in political science and Islamic studies and now works as a reporter specializing in the Middle East, Turkey and Afghanistan. Her journalistic repertoire includes print and radio reports for Germany's ARD public broadcasting network. She has also translated the novel "Baksheesh" by Esmahan Aykol from Turkish into German. Additionally Antje Bauer works with the Deutsche Welle Academy, offering workshops for journalists in the Arab world.

28.08.2014 DW Quadriga Dempsey, Judy

Judy Dempsey- after training as a journalist in Ireland, Ms Dempsey embarked on an international career: From the 1980s to early 1990s she reported from eastern Europe. In 1996 she took over the Financial Times' bureau in Jerusalem where she remained until 2001. She was a Columnist for the International Herald Tribune and works now as a Senior Associate at Carnegie Europe and editor-in-chief of Strategic Europe.