Didem Aydurmuş Criticizes the Trivialization of Wars at the “Invictus Games” in Düsseldorf

8. September 2023Didem Aydurmuş

Didem Aydurmuş from the board of the DIE LINKE party at the start of the “Invictus Games” under the motto “A Home for Respect” in Düsseldorf.

At the start of the “Invictus Games” under the motto “A Home for Respect” in Düsseldorf, Didem Aydurmuş from the board of the DIE LINKE party explains:

»The intention to support people with war injuries or trauma is important, but a public spectacle of this kind trivializes wars.

The motto raises the important question of “what we should have respect for” and more generally about the foreign policy role of the Federal Republic. We are still one of the largest arms exporters and are therefore directly responsible for the death and misery of millions of people. Not only through the violence carried out with German weapons themselves, but also through warlike expulsion.

But it does not have to be like this. Progress means questioning developments. Responsibility means putting human rights before profits. It must be clear that when weapons are delivered, no one can guarantee that the weapons will not end up in the “wrong hands”. After all, many weapons are very easy to use and have a lifespan that we can only dream of with other products. “Never again” and “No forgetting” are consistently thought of, but they must mean that we do not aid in genocide. ‘Never again’ means that we have a special responsibility for respecting human rights and for securing international peace.

The list of the largest buyers in recent years includes countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar, but also Turkey, for example. We know that, on the one hand, all of these countries are actively involved in conflicts and, on the other hand, those in power there have no inhibitions about using these weapons against civilians, as Turkey regularly does in Kurdistan. We know that incredible atrocities are being committed with German weapons.

Of course, soldiers are often traumatized and need offers to be reintegrated into normal life. Instead of trivializing wars through sporting events, the federal government must critically examine its own role in the world and finally draw conclusions from the many dead civilians.

No economic balance is worth bringing death into the world. Wars and murders must be prevented.

By trivializing the consequences, the Invictus Games also trivialize the wars themselves. Instead, it would be desirable to invest more money in sports for the disabled and rehabilitation programs for people with trauma.

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