31 years of Mölln – never forget! Consistent processing!

We demand justice for the relatives and survivors of racist violence and preventive work from politicians and society.

On November 23, 1992, right-wing extremists threw Molotov cocktails at two houses in Mölln, Schleswig-Holstein. The reason for this was racist hatred – Two families of Turkish origin lived in the house. Three people, two girls and a woman, were murdered and another nine people were injured. We remember Yeliz Arslan (10 years old), Ayse Yilmaz (14 years old) and Bahide Arslan (52 years old).

After the attack in Mölln, the families of those murdered were left in the lurch and had to fight alone for years for legal compensation. The city of Mölln did not forward letters addressed to the family from people all over the world (not just from Germany) with offers of help, expressions of condolences and solidarity, and even donations.

To this day, the families complain that they are not seen as authorized contacts when it comes to dealing with the attack. Failures in the investigation of the attack, withholding of expressions of solidarity from the majority society by the city of Mölln and To this day, 31 years later, there has been a lack of consistent processing of what happened. A very bad conclusion!

The attack in Mölln was only part of a series of racist violence throughout the country: Mölln, Solingen, Lübeck, Rostock, Hamburg, Dortmund, Kassel, Nuremberg, Heilbronn, Munich, Halle and Hanau. Today, 31 years later, we remember the Mölln assassination attempt in a Germany in which right-wing parties and positions are gaining momentum and many migrants and BiPoCs are afraid for their safety and future. In a Germany in which anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim racism and discrimination remain a social reality.

"We therefore demand both justice for the relatives and survivors of racist violence as well as preventive work from politics and society: political education critical of racism, independent contact points and legal advice for victims of right-wing violence, as well as more projects to raise awareness of the dominant society in the fight against racism. Only the recognition and confrontation of right-wing continuities and racist realities in Germany as a whole can bring about lasting changes,” says Dr. Soraya Moket, deputy managing director of DaMigra eV and project manager of the anti-racism project women rais.ed.

The annual balance sheet of the victim advice centers of the Association for Advice Centers for Those Affected by Right-Wing, Racist and Anti-Semitic Violence (VBRG) shows that this violence is increasing. In 2022, ten out of 16 federal states were in total 2.093 Right-wing, racist or anti-Semitic attacks were registered. Now in October 2023, VBRG and RIAS (Recherche- & Informationsstellen Antisemitismus eV) are warning of an increasing escalation. According to VBRG, in Germany three to four daily committed violent acts motivated by right-wing, racist or anti-Semitic concerns.

Remembering is important, but not nearly enough. Structural changes, consistent and continuous anti-racist work, political education critical of racism and a profound, complex analysis of racist continuity(s) in Germany are - more than ever - urgently needed!

DaMigra eV represents the interests of women migrant organizations and their concerns and advocates equal opportunities, equal participation and the equality of women with a history of migration and refugee experience in Germany. DaMigra follows the approach of anti-racist feminism.