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Destroyed tombstone in Iserlohn: "I saw older men cry"
Photo:
Markus Klümper / IMAGO
SPIEGEL:
On New Year's Day, 30 Muslim graves were destroyed in Iserlohn.
What was going through your head when you heard about it?
Ayman Alaiz:
A good friend of my family died a few months ago and their children are my age.
I immediately wondered if her grave had also been damaged.
It is bad enough when a loved one dies and the family members face death.
But when someone destroys a tombstone, he has lost all respect for people.
Something like that makes me incredibly angry and sad.
I just can't understand that.
SPIEGEL:
Who do you suspect behind the crime?
Alaiz:
The Muslim graves are in the back of the cemetery, they are not easy to find and you have to know where they are.
So it is obvious that the acts were politically motivated.
The perpetrators evidently feel a great hatred of Muslims, and they lived it out.
SPIEGEL:
Have you ever experienced something like this?
Alaiz:
It hasn't
happened to
that extent before.
But in Iserlohn there are always xenophobic attacks, two and a half years ago there were multiple bomb threats against the mosque.
SPIEGEL:
Is there a right-wing scene in the city?
Alaiz:
I don't know anything about an organized right-wing scene.
But of course there are right-wing extremists in Iserlohn.
SPIEGEL:
Do you feel well supported by the city?
Alaiz: The
city and the police are doing everything in their power to find the perpetrators.
On Sunday, 300 people from different religious communities and from several cities came together to show their solidarity.
It was very moving, I saw older men cry.
The deputy mayor was there and so was Paul Ziemiak, member of the Bundestag, whose constituency is in Iserlohn.
The city is behind us.
SPIEGEL:
Who will pay for the damage?
Alaiz:
Many citizens approached us and asked if they could donate.
It could not be that the families affected would have to pay for the damage.
A woman from Switzerland even got in touch: She makes gravestones and wants to support us.
So there is a lot of charity and willingness to help.
Or maybe the city will pay for the damages.
SPIEGEL:
How can such acts be prevented in the future?
Alaiz:
We are currently considering whether it would make sense to install video cameras.
The deeds are still so fresh, we will discuss the next steps in the next days and weeks.
SPIEGEL:
What is your message for the perpetrators?
Alaiz:
The people who destroyed the graves are full of hate.
The more they try to harm us, the closer we pull together.
We are stronger.
You will not be able to split the population of Iserlohn.
We are used to living together in peace here.