I’ve read two articles recently, both about the IS, both on the website of a newspaper allowing for comments, and both made me wonder.
The first article was about a man getting sentenced to four years for recruiting IS fighters among Chechnyan refugees in Austria and transporting them to Syria. Everybody agreed that this man’s actions were obviously going too far. So do I. Less did I agree with all the hate and blind rage in the forums.
The second article was about the case of two girls, 16 and 17 or something like that, both from Chechnyan origin. I believe they came to Austria at an age of about four. Both are devout believers and both have had something like an online wedding via Skype with some guys fighting in Syria for the Islamic state.
The girls had intended to travel to Syria and either didn’t make it out of Austria or were caught in Turkey and returned. They were sentenced to 12 and 14 months each and put on probation for three years. The crime in question was “Support of a terrorist organization”.
The general tone of the comments to this second article disturbed me, I joined the conversation and soon found it even more disturbing. Here’s why:
Most of the comments found the sentences much too mild. Many called for at least five years without probation, best followed by life-long psychiatric treatment.
Someone stated that everybody even sympathizing with the IS should be incarcerated for at least one year.
Someone else asked “Would you really let (potential) IS barbarians in Austria get away unchallenged”?
Would you really let (potential) killers in Austria get away unchallenged? Would you really let (potential) rapists in Austria get away unchallenged? Would you really let (potential) bankrobbers in Austria get away unchallenged? Would you really let (potential) shoplifters in Austria get away unchallenged? Would you really let (potential) music pirates in Austria get away unchallenged? Would you really let (potential) agitators in Austria get away unchallenged? Would you really let (potential) dissidents in Austria get away unchallenged?
I am perfectly capable of doing all that. At every moment civilized society is only one step away from my violence getting unleashed. Would you let me get away with that? Or yourself, if you think about it?