Bremen teachers should give up 'Schweigefuchs'
The so-called Wolf's Greeting of Turkish Nationalists Caused Stir at the European Football Championship. Consequences in Bremen Kindergartens and Schools.
The "Silent Fox" is used by educators and teachers in Kindergarten groups and classes to calm children down. They mimic a fox with a closed mouth by pressing the middle and ring fingers against the thumb, while the index and little finger form the ears. Does this sound familiar? In fact, this gesture is very similar to the so-called Wolf's Greeting.
The Wolf's Greeting has caused a stir during the ongoing European Football Championship, after Turkish national player Merih Demiral showed it on the field following a 2:1 win against Austria. This gesture is a symbol of the Grey Wolves, the supporters of the right-wing Ulkuçu Movement. In Germany, the Verfassungsschutz observes it. In Turkey, the ultranationalist MHP is their political representation. The Wolf's Greeting scandal has triggered numerous calls for a ban on the Grey Wolves.
In Bremen, the similarity between both gestures has consequences: The "Silent Fox" is not to be used in Kindergartens and schools for the time being, according to the "Weser-Kurier" report. The topic has been under discussion for a long time, explained Patricia Brandt, spokesperson for the education authority. The political meaning of the Wolf's Greeting is absolutely incompatible with the fundamental attitude of the municipal childcare company Kita Bremen, she said.
Brandt also considers the "Silent Fox" outdated. The "regulating nature" is not up-to-date, she was quoted as saying by the newspaper. In fact, the use of hand symbols can be misunderstood, and the employees of Kita Bremen have therefore been using image symbols, gestures, or a gong to attract attention. Schools have also switched to using other symbols or signals.
"It is of course not excluded that the 'Silent Fox' is still used occasionally," Brandt added further. In the new kindergarten year, the topic should again be sensitized in management circles.
In light of the controversy surrounding the Wolf's Greeting, a gesture associated with Turkish nationalism and right-wing extremism, Bremen schools and Kindergartens have decided to temporarily prohibit the use of the "Silent Fox" gesture, which bears a striking resemblance, due to its political connotations being incompatible with their fundamental values. Additionally, the ongoing discourse about the Wolf's Greeting scandal in Turkey has led to increased scrutiny of similar hand symbols in schools and Kindergartens worldwide, including discussions in Turkish schools about alternative methods to maintain discipline and attention.
