The attack in Nice was a horrific tragedy, leaving behind innocent casualties and many injured. It is unfathomable. And we can't even imagine what consequences this will have for Europe and for Germany.
We have to stop asking for increasingly tighter security measures. They don't help. They can't stop a man from jumping into a truck and running into a crowd of people on a national holiday.
We have to stop excluding people and integrate them instead. We cannot make the same mistakes as France. Ghettos and marginalized communities have cropped up in the suburbs of Paris. The hopeless ones from today will become the terrorists of tomorrow.
We Cannot Let Europeans Join ISIS
It shocks me, of course, that people from Europe want to join ISIS. We should not let that happen, even if it is difficult to prevent people from doing so. Especially since last year, during which a million migrants arrived. They should learn German, get training and be fit for the job market. If not, these people will drop out from society. And we are the ones who pay the price, as we saw with the attacks in Nice.
This is lost on those who demand that we close the borders or deport refugees. And there are many critics like this in Germany. We must help them to not be afraid of Islam.
Here is an example: A mosque was scheduled for construction in my neighborhood and it got a lot of people upset. Now the construction is finished and the mosque is there, and everyone has calmed down. But there was a long struggle to convince them not to worry. It costs a lot of time and energy, but it is worth it.
Stop The War With Syria
We also have to stop the war with Syria. Those calling for more troops to go and fight the Syrian leader Assad are misled. Escalation does not bring us forward, but actually sucks us into a vicious cycle. More war leads to more terror. We must break out of this vortex.
Russia and the U.S. must finally come to an agreement and concentrate instead on combatting ISIS. That would bring us a step further.
I understand that this is not easy. While Putin and Obama do not like each other, we cannot defeat terror without Russia's help. That is why the sanctions were wrong and should be lifted immediately.
Furthermore, we must prevent more people from joining ISIS. We must address the many challenges at a local level, and give those affected daily a sense of security.
This post first appeared on HuffPost Germany. It has been translated into English and edited for clarity.