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German Justice Minister: ‘Sexist Ads’ Caused Cologne Attacks

REUTERS/Albeiro Lopera

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Jacob Bojesson Foreign Correspondent
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The German agency regulating advertisement laws wants to eliminate “gender discriminatory advertising” in response to the spree of sexual assaults in the country.

Heiko Maas, the German federal minister of justice and consumer protection, wants to modernize the “gender image” in Germany that is reducing “women or men to sexual objects,” according to German news outlet Spiegel. The current gender image, Maas says, is to blame for the more than 1,000 sexual assaults reported in Cologne on New Year’s Eve.

A majority of the perpetrators were under refugee status and originated from North Africa.

As the head of the Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection, Maas and his cabinet has authority to impose regulations on advertisements. In the case of dispute between an advertiser and the ministry, a court will decide if an ad should be allowed or not.

Maas’s proposal was quickly met with opposition from politicians. The proposal does does not include guidelines and it will come down to a “matter of taste,” according to Free Democratic Party leader Christian Lindner.

“His plans to ban nudity and sexual advertising are completely narrow-minded,” Linder said Monday, according to Deutsche Welle. “To demand the veiling of women or taming of men, is something known among radical Islamic religious leaders, but not from the German minister of justice.”

Maas is teaming up with feminist group “Pink Stinks” in his effort to promote the new regulations.

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