Open letter from PEN Berlin members
We are here to stay
What is happening at PEN Berlin at the moment is a direct reflection of the turmoil in society. In their despair over the state of the world, reasonable and intelligent people are sinking into the ‘narcissism of small differences’ (Sigmund Freud). Since neither of the two sides that have formed in Germany to support the warring parties in the Middle East has any influence on this terrible war, it is carried out in the small-scale work of the association.
After two extensive discussions, a resolution was democratically adopted by one (!) more vote for; the other, narrowly rejected motion differed only in – hotly debated – details. The huge fuss that ensued can no longer be explained to the outside world.
Most supporters of the defeated motions accept the democratic outcome. But a significant number of members are now leaving, often publicly. Some because the adopted text is too »pro-Palestinian«, others because it is too »pro-Israeli«. This could be seen as proof that a compromise has been reached. The Israeli philosopher Avishai Margalit says: »A good compromise splits that which divides.« In other words, it has to be painful, otherwise it is not a compromise.
The public verbal sparring and opinion wars – which are at least questionable in view of the mass killing and dying in many parts of the world – are, however, likely to damage this young association, in which an incredible amount of voluntary work is being done. We would therefore like to remind you of the reasons for its creation: on the one hand, as a human rights organisation to protect persecuted colleagues and, on the other, as a platform that is as open as possible to the many debates that concern us all. A great deal has been achieved in just two and a half years, although of course, as everywhere, mistakes have been made.
We want to continue to critically accompany these tackling, erring and succeeding, the actions that go beyond mere opinions. We express our trust and support for our colleagues on the board of PEN Berlin, who strive for this every day in their gruelling voluntary work.
For us, being on the right side means constantly trying to overcome divisions and find compromises, and not losing sight of our responsibility to our colleagues in exile. We have had enough of everything else.
Doris Akrap, Klaus Anders, Stephan Anpalagan, Imran Ayata, Ingrid Bachér, Bettina Baltschev, Zoë Beck, Christian Berkel, Aron Boks, Nora Bossong, Simone Buchholz, Heinz Bude, Alexandru Bulucz, Rafael Cardoso, Saba-Nur Cheema, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Carlos Collado Seidel, Ankalina Dahlem, Christoph Danne, Franz Dobler, Marie Eisenmann, Hartmut El Kurdi, Isabel Fargo Cole, Ulrich Faure, Jan Feddersen, Svenja Flasspöhler, Olga Flor, Michel Friedman, Katja Gloger, Alexander Graeff, Claudia Hamm, Wolfgang Hegewald, Alban Nikolai Herbst, Gabriel Herlich, Elisabeth Herrmann, Konrad Hirsch, Patricia Holland-Moritz, Ulrich Hub, Nancy Hünger, Wolf Iro, Peter-Stephan Jungk, Wladimir Kaminer, Melanie Katz, Johannes Kram, Daniel Kehlmann, Stefan Klein, Ursula Krechel, Birgit Kreipe, Jan Kuhlbrodt, Corinna Kulenkamp, Fitzgerald Kusz, Tamara Labas, Else Laudan, Anton G. Leitner, Bernd Leukert, Werner Löcher-Lawrence, Lucia Lucia, Kristof Magnusson, Karen Margolis, Aurélie Maurin, Dilek Mayatürk, Nikola Anne Mehlhorn, Francesca Melandri, Eva Menasse, Meron Mendel, Bascha Mika, Daniel Morgenroth, Wolfgang Mueller, Ralf Nestmeyer, Romina Nikolic, Michaela Ott, Khue Pham, Katharina Picandet, Julya Rabinowich, Cay Rademacher, Sven Regener, Moritz Rinke, Kathrin Röggla, Jan Röhnert, Judith Schalansky, David Schalko, Judith Schifferle, Hinrich Schmidt-Henkel, Hajo Schumacher, Eberhard Seidel, Eva Sichelschmidt, Annette Simon, Meral Şimşek, Dirk Skiba, Michael Sontheimer, Ralf Sotschek, Jakob Springfeld, Benjamin Stein, Susanne Stephan, Alain Claude Sulzer, Jörg Sundermeier, Anastasia Tikhomirova, Asmus Trautsch, Anja Utler, Jan Wagner, Katrin Weiland, Florian Werner, Herbert Wiesner, Ron Winkler, Ulrich Woelk, Ute Woltron