Silence-fox vs. Wolf's greeting - The ministry sees no action needed for the seal of silence
The Saxony-Anhalt Education Ministry is against a ban on the Thumbs-up Frog at schools. The gesture and its possible double meaning is not a topic at Saxony-Anhalt's schools, accordingly, there is no need for action, said a spokeswoman for Minister Eva Feußner (CDU). With the Thumbs-up Frog, a quiet group or learning situation is intended to be created. This is achieved by forming the thumb, middle, and ring finger into a sort of snout, while the index and little finger form something like ears.
The Thumbs-up Frog resembles the nationalist Wolfsgruß. During the European Football Championship, a Turkish player and many Turkish fans displayed this gesture. The Turkish national player Demiral was suspended by UEFA for two games due to the greeting. The Wolfsgruß usually expresses affiliation or sympathy with the Turkish ultra-nationalist Ülkücü-Movement and its ideology. In Turkey, it is used by the ultranationalist MHP party, which is a partner in the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
- Minister Eva Feussner from the CDU in Saxony-Anhalt stated that there's no need for the Saxony-Anhalt Education Ministry to intervene in the Thumbs-up Frog issue, as it's not a topic in their schools.
- The BMBF, or Federal Ministry of Education and Research, has not expressed an opinion on the Thumbs-up Frog controversy in Saxony-Anhalt's schools, given the stance of the state's Education Ministry.
- Eva Feussner, while opposing a ban on the Thumbs-up Frog in schools, has not addressed the concern about its potential association with extremist movements, such as the Turkish ultranationalist Ülkücü-Movement.
- In contrast to the controversy surrounding the Thumbs-up Frog and its potential connections to extremism, the European Football Championship has seen various controversies related to political gestures and their impact on players, such as the suspension of Demiral due to the Wolfs' greeting.
