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A northern German city has become the first to ban a classroom hand gesture, commonly used to encourage silence, due to its similarity to a far-right Turkish salute.

The “silent fox” gesture, where the hand mimics an animal with upright ears and a closed mouth, has been a popular teaching tool in Germany and elsewhere to signal children to be quiet. However, authorities in Bremen argue that it closely resembles the extremist “wolf salute,” used by the right-wing Grey Wolves group, making it potentially confusing and politically charged.

This issue gained prominence after Turkish footballer Merih Demiral used the salute during the Euros, leading to a diplomatic dispute and his subsequent ban by Uefa. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser condemned the use of the symbol, calling it an unacceptable platform for racism.

Following the incident, Turkish fans protested the ban, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan defended Demiral, suggesting the ban was politically motivated. Germany, with its significant Turkish population, felt the tension deeply.

Patricia Brandt, spokesperson for Bremen’s education authority, stated that the city had no choice but to ban the gesture, as its political implications were incompatible with Bremen’s values. She also noted that many educators found the gesture outdated and too authoritative.

The Grey Wolves, a nationalist and Islamist extremist group, is associated with terrorism and hatred towards various ethnic and religious groups. Despite its controversial nature, the silent fox gesture is still used globally under different names like the whispering fox or the quiet coyote in the US.

The ban in Bremen reflects a broader debate in Germany about sensitivity in teaching methods, with some schools now opting for alternative ways to signal silence, such as gongs or different hand signals.

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The European country of France, which recently opened a word war with another European country of Turkey over the matter of the right of caricature, is planning to ban Grey Wolves, a far-right Turkey organisation.

The proposed ban means the organisation will not be able to function in the country in the future.

The ban is not capable to stop the functioning of the organisation completely. Grey Wolves is an International organisation, the said ban is only applicable to the operation of the organisation inside the boundary of France.

The proposal seeking the ban has been placed before the discussion table of the French government after the involvement of the organisation in the defacing of an Armenian genocide statue was found.

Turkey has not yet responded to the decision yet.

Anyway, the French government is likely to place the matter before the cabinet in the near future itself.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan crisis have deeply divided the European world, with Azerbaijan supporters like Turkey in one end and Armenian supporters such as Russia in the other.

The latest development is also a part of this crisis, undoubtedly.

It is yet to be seen how the European world will handle the crisis. It is important to find a solution to this issue in the near future itself.

Photo Courtesy: Google/ images are subject to copyright