Welcome to Wolfgang Schäuble’s Germany, where neighbors are encouraged to spy on each other and the state monitors every e-mail and cell phone call. This time Schäuble’s tactics have hit close to home – affecting our blogging colleague Omar Abo-Namous, a good friend of Dialog International. What should have been a joyous occasion turned into a nightmare for Omar and his bride. Omar exchanged vows with Kathrin Klausing (a convert to Islam) in Hannover and wanted to spend a brief honeymoon at a cottage in the idyllic Lüneburger Heide. Since they don’t own a car, the newlyweds took a train and taxi to the rented house. After a quiet game of Scrabble, Omar and Kathrina were preparing to retire for the evening.
What happened next was something out of a wet dream of Rudy Giuliani. Kathrin describes it detail on her blog. The house was surrounded by the local police; two officers enter the cottage and search the bedroom for "evidence" and check the couple’s identification papers with the "authorities". Kathrin asked the commanding officer why they were being searched. Evidently the police had received a report from a "concerned citizen" that an "middle-eastern" looking couple had arrived in the village "without an automobile". That was enough to raise suspicions of "terrorist activities". Actually, Kathrin and Omar got off rather easily: the police apologized for disturbing their honeymoon and left when they realized they had made a mistake. Under a Giuliani Administration they would have undoubtedly been subjected to waterboarding harsh interrogation techniques (verschärfte Vernehmung).
The unfortunate incident was reported in the local and international press, and Omar is considering legal actions against the police for the unwarranted intrusion.
What stands out for me was this exchange between Kathrin and the police while they were conducting their search.
Kathrin: What kind of a country is this? Police: A safe country.
That brings to mind this statement of Benjamin Franklin: "A nation that exchanges liberty for security deserves neither"
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I’m bookmarking your blog. Fascinating stuff–makes me feel a little more up to date on Germany.
das ist erst der anfang! irgendwann wird in unserem überwachungsstaat jeder unter verdacht stehen, der in irgendwelche immer engeren raster paßt.
der deutsche bürger hat noch nicht verstanden, daß freiheit und sicherheit, so wie sie heute praktiziert wird, einander ausschließen. noch glaubt die mehrzahl der deutschen, ihnen könne nichts passieren, weil sie ja nichts gemacht haben. wenn sie aber begreifen, daß die wachsenden kontrollmechanismen einen generalverdacht gegen jederman ermöglichen, wird es zu spät sein.