Otto Schily Quotes

Powerful Otto Schily for Daily Growth

About Otto Schily

Otto Schily (born February 14, 1950) is a prominent German politician, jurist, and former member of the Bundestag (German federal parliament). Born in Berlin during the Cold War era, Schily's formative years were significantly influenced by the political upheavals that shaped post-war Germany. He studied law at Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and Free University of Berlin, where he developed a keen interest in constitutional and criminal law. In 1978, Schily started his professional career as a legal clerk before joining the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in 1980. His political rise was marked by his election to the Bundestag in 1983, where he served as a member for over three decades. Schily held various ministerial positions during the SPD-Green government coalition, including Minister of Justice (1998-2002) and Interior Minister (2002-2005). As a key figure in the German government, Schily was instrumental in several landmark legislations, including the reform of asylum laws and the passage of the Anti-Hate Speech Law. One of his most notable achievements came during the 2002 World Cup when he successfully managed security operations, ensuring a peaceful and incident-free event. In 2005, Schily stepped down from politics to become the CEO of Siemens' IT Solutions and Services division. Despite leaving politics, Schily remains active as a scholar on constitutional law and serves as a visiting professor at several universities. Throughout his career, Otto Schily has been recognized for his commitment to upholding the rule of law, ensuring democratic principles, and maintaining public safety in Germany. His quotes often reflect these values, such as "The state is the servant of the people, not its master" and "Security is the foundation of freedom."

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Freedom is not free, but it's worth fighting for."

This quote by Otto Schily emphasizes that while freedom isn't automatically attained or maintained, its value makes it worth the effort and struggle required to secure and protect it. It serves as a reminder that the pursuit of freedom is an ongoing process, requiring constant vigilance and commitment from individuals and societies alike.

"The police are not a plaything for politicians, they are a necessity for citizens."

This quote emphasizes that the role of the police is not to serve the whims or agendas of politicians, but rather to protect and serve the needs and safety of the citizenry. It suggests that politicians should respect and support the independence and integrity of law enforcement, ensuring they operate effectively without political interference or manipulation.

"Security policy is not made in speeches, but in deeds."

This quote by Otto Schily emphasizes that effective security policy should be defined and executed through actions rather than mere words or rhetoric. It underscores the importance of tangible efforts over empty promises when it comes to national or cybersecurity, as only practical implementation can ensure protection against potential threats. The message is clear: prioritize action and results over hollow speech if one truly seeks security and stability.

"We must ensure that the rule of law applies to everyone and not just to some people."

This quote emphasizes the importance of equal justice under the law, a fundamental principle in democratic societies. It implies that the law should be applied consistently and fairly without favoritism or discrimination, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their status or position, are subject to the same rules. Such equal treatment is crucial for maintaining trust in the legal system, preserving social harmony, and upholding human rights.

"The future of our country lies not only in its economy, but also and above all in its values."

This quote by Otto Schily emphasizes that a nation's future is not solely dependent on its economic prosperity, but crucially relies on the strength and integrity of its shared values. A country with strong, universally respected values fosters a society that upholds justice, encourages growth, and maintains harmony among its people, thereby ensuring a secure and sustainable future. These values include equality, freedom, respect for human rights, and adherence to democratic principles. In essence, Schily suggests that while economic success is essential, it should never overshadow the importance of maintaining strong moral foundations.

We feel very honored to have been offered the responsibility to host this great event, Berlin is a wonderful city that is developing at a tremendous rate, and this decision means that we can now prepare to welcome the world's best athletes to a fascinating place.

- Otto Schily

Prepare, Been, Very, Place

It's a mistake to assume that Islamists always come from the slums. Indeed, many come from affluent families but for some reason just couldn't manage to integrate into Western society, even though they had good opportunities for advancement.

- Otto Schily

Reason, Some, Affluent, Integrate

After Madrid, we intensified our investigative efforts once again, and we are in the process of bringing about expansions in security laws and creating an index file system.

- Otto Schily

Process, Laws, Intensified, Madrid

It is a warning to all those who may think about becoming involved with a terrorist network, people who are willing to destroy their own lives are hard to deter.

- Otto Schily

Think, Becoming, May, Deter

Procedures outside the stadiums and in the parking areas still need to be optimized, for example so that emergency medical services can leave the grounds on their way to the hospital faster.

- Otto Schily

Medical, Parking, Still, Procedures

Arresting and detaining these dangerous people can make sense, at least until a final decision is reached on their deportation. However, such detention must always be subject to time limits and court review.

- Otto Schily

Always, However, Arresting, Deportation

We can no longer apply the classic criteria to clearly determine whether and when we should use military force. We are waging war in Afghanistan, for example, but it's an asymmetrical war where the enemies are criminals instead of soldiers.

- Otto Schily

Soldiers, Use, Criteria, Waging

Freedom of the press is not questioned when investigative journalism unearths scandals, But that does not mean that every classified state document should be made available to journalists.

- Otto Schily

Made, Questioned, Document, Investigative

The terrorists who committed the 2003 Istanbul attacks were locals, that is, Turks. And when filmmaker Theo van Gogh was murdered in the Netherlands last year, the murderer and his supporters were also part of the Muslim community.

- Otto Schily

Muslim, Last Year, Van Gogh, Supporters

The attacks on the Paris Metro in the 1990s were committed by members of the local Muslim community, immigrants from the Maghreb region of North Africa.

- Otto Schily

Africa, Committed, Muslim, North Africa

Incidentally, our railroad facilities are under video surveillance by the federal police. However, the federal and state governments will have to determine whether video surveillance shouldn't be significantly expanded to a certain degree.

- Otto Schily

Railroad, However, Determine, Facilities

The hatred Muslim extremists feel against the West feeds on certain conflicts in the world.

- Otto Schily

World, Hatred, Muslim, Feeds

This fanaticism is what feeds terrorism. And this is precisely why Muslims must play an active role in opposing hate sermons and incitement to terrorism and extremism in their mosques.

- Otto Schily

Play, Extremism, Opposing, Feeds

The military has been tremendously important in the past during catastrophes and in protecting the population. But it shouldn't become an auxiliary police force.

- Otto Schily

In The Past, Protecting, Police Force

Nevertheless, I do know that we are part of a danger zone, we have military operations in Afghanistan and we're training the Iraqi police force. The terrorists also have us in their sights.

- Otto Schily

Part, Sights, Nevertheless, Police Force

On September 11 last year international terrorism entered a new dimension.

- Otto Schily

New, September, Last, Dimension

There is no question that Iraq is one of the main problems. You'd have to be blind not to see what a magnet and generating force it's become for terrorist groups.

- Otto Schily

Question, Blind, No Question, Terrorist

On the other hand, all kinds of adventurous schemes to add security checkpoints to subway and bus systems have been circulating since the London attacks. This is nonsense. No one can guaranty 100 percent security.

- Otto Schily

Bus, Other, Add, Schemes

This will help us next year with the World Cup. I can imagine a lot of visitors from abroad will be here and asking what happened between 1933 and 1945. A lot of that will come up. I think this will make an important contribution to those discussions.

- Otto Schily

Next, Here, I Think, Next Year

The vast majority of Muslims living here are peaceful citizens. Unfortunately, however, we also see religious and political fanaticism among Muslim groups in Germany.

- Otto Schily

Here, Religious, However, Fanaticism

We have points in common with the FDP, particularly when it comes to tax.

- Otto Schily

Tax, Common, Particularly, Points

And now when we hear that Iran and Iraq plan to cooperate more closely and that a fundamentalist is coming to power in Tehran - a man about whom we cannot be sure that he is absolutely averse to terrorism - it is very worrisome.

- Otto Schily

Very, We Cannot, Averse

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