1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,800 2 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:07,497 Following the reinstatement of mandatory military service, the first ceremonial oath-taking by soldiers in the new 3 00:00:07,497 --> 00:00:14,082 military service took place on July 20, 2026, in front of the Federal Ministry of Defense in Berlin. 4 00:00:14,082 --> 00:00:21,948 The guest of honor at this special event was Dr. Navid Kermani, one of the most prominent contemporary German intellectuals. 5 00:00:21,948 --> 00:00:29,461 Kermani excels as a writer, journalist, scholar, and cultural bridge-builder. 6 00:00:29,461 --> 00:00:36,412 In 2015, he was even awarded the German Book Trade Peace Prize for these achievements. 7 00:00:36,412 --> 00:00:45,536 Kermani took this opportunity to deliver an extraordinary speech, which subsequently went viral on social media. 8 00:00:45,536 --> 00:00:52,487 He spoke about the importance of discipline, camaraderie, and respect for the chain of command, while also addressing 9 00:00:52,487 --> 00:01:00,375 extremely sensitive questions, such as: “When does a German soldier reach the point where he has to say ‘No!’?” 10 00:01:00,375 --> 00:01:03,954 "When must a Bundeswehr soldier refuse an order?" 11 00:01:03,954 --> 00:01:11,069 In doing so, he made it clear how important it is to explicitly address the issue of insubordination. 12 00:01:11,069 --> 00:01:16,270 He said, “Today teaches you something different.” 13 00:01:16,270 --> 00:01:23,292 "It teaches you that in certain situations, you can—and must—say NO, even if it costs you your 14 00:01:23,292 --> 00:01:29,240 community, your material well-being, or even your life." 15 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:36,274 In doing so, he also leveled unusually sharp criticism at the federal government and Chancellor Friedrich Merz. 16 00:01:36,274 --> 00:01:41,560 He even glosses over obvious violations of international law. 17 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:47,333 Dear viewers, below we present and quote key passages from this speech. 18 00:01:47,333 --> 00:01:51,950 You, too, can learn to say “no” when wrong is treated as right. 19 00:01:51,950 --> 00:01:58,706 “ Dear recruits. You already know better than I do—someone who has never carried a weapon—why it is 20 00:01:58,706 --> 00:02:05,883 important, and why it can even be a matter of survival in combat, for a soldier to be obedient. 21 00:02:05,883 --> 00:02:14,459 You can't question every order if you want to survive in war, and that's why armies strictly enforce discipline, camaraderie, 22 00:02:14,459 --> 00:02:18,740 and adherence to the chain of command even in peacetime. 23 00:02:18,740 --> 00:02:24,161 You, dear recruits, have been learning these genuine military virtues until yesterday, and you 24 00:02:24,161 --> 00:02:27,476 will continue to learn them starting tomorrow. 25 00:02:27,476 --> 00:02:30,276 Today will teach you something different. 26 00:02:30,276 --> 00:02:38,672 Today teaches you that in certain situations, you can—and must—say “No!” Even if it costs you your 27 00:02:38,672 --> 00:02:43,883 community, your material well-being, or even your life. 28 00:02:43,883 --> 00:02:50,444 Still, it won't always be easy for you, either, to recognize the point at which you need to say “No.” 29 00:02:50,444 --> 00:02:55,113 Conscience alone is not enough to distinguish between right and wrong. 30 00:02:55,113 --> 00:03:00,496 Conscience needs an objective check to ensure it is not arbitrary. 31 00:03:00,496 --> 00:03:08,315 You, dear recruits, have such a safeguard in the form of our Constitution and the fundamental rights enshrined 32 00:03:08,315 --> 00:03:13,143 therein, which may not be altered by any majority decision. 33 00:03:13,143 --> 00:03:19,288 These fundamental rights take precedence over any order from your superior, no matter the circumstances. 34 00:03:19,288 --> 00:03:28,278 But back to my question: When does the point come where you, dear recruits, can—and must—say no? 35 00:03:28,278 --> 00:03:36,690 "It is in the nature of wars that they get out of hand and situations arise that no one could have foreseen." 36 00:03:36,690 --> 00:03:43,579 In addition to Commander-in-Chief Carsten Breuer, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was also in the audience. 37 00:03:43,579 --> 00:03:47,165 In light of those clear words, his facial expression spoke volumes! 38 00:03:47,165 --> 00:03:55,162 “None other than the German Chancellor has made it a habit to downplay international law and gloss over 39 00:03:55,162 --> 00:04:01,935 violations of it whenever it seems politically expedient to him. 40 00:04:01,935 --> 00:04:10,431 Dear recruits, you are at the beginning of what may be a long career in the military. 41 00:04:10,431 --> 00:04:19,235 It is unlikely that the coming decades will remain as peaceful as the past decades have been for Germany, on the whole. 42 00:04:19,235 --> 00:04:28,413 Should a future federal government attempt to lead you into a war that is as blatantly contrary to international law and as 43 00:04:28,413 --> 00:04:35,278 politically disastrous as the recent war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran, 44 00:04:35,278 --> 00:04:40,360 then it will be your duty to refuse the order. 45 00:04:48,790 --> 00:04:57,893 But the threat to wipe out an entire civilization or a deliberate attack on a country's civilian infrastructure are 46 00:04:57,893 --> 00:05:06,403 such obvious injustices that one need not be a lawyer or consult one's conscience to recognize them. 47 00:05:06,403 --> 00:05:13,879 When the German federal government, of all entities, takes the lead in declaring international law to be of secondary 48 00:05:13,879 --> 00:05:21,993 importance, or when a German chancellor, of all people, is the only Western leader to defend the American president’s threat to 49 00:05:21,993 --> 00:05:28,191 wipe out an entire civilization, it is not only devastating for our reputation—on which we, as an 50 00:05:28,191 --> 00:05:32,647 export-oriented nation, depend, not least economically. 51 00:05:32,647 --> 00:05:41,745 "No, the downplaying of international law by the highest authorities also sends a disastrous signal for our democracy, 52 00:05:41,745 --> 00:05:51,453 because if the rule of law erodes in our foreign relations, it won’t be long before it is also disregarded at home. " 53 00:05:51,453 --> 00:05:58,141 Navid Kermani concluded his memorable speech with the following deeply moving words: 54 00:05:58,141 --> 00:06:04,354 “Please always remember, at every moment, that no matter how malicious the enemy may seem to 55 00:06:04,354 --> 00:06:07,856 you, he is still a human being just like you.” 56 00:06:07,856 --> 00:06:16,227 Because if you view the enemy as an animal, as a mere line on the screen, or as a monster—just to make it easier to kill—then 57 00:06:16,227 --> 00:06:20,596 you yourself will turn into an animal, an AI, or a monster. 58 00:06:20,596 --> 00:06:29,875 I've never held a gun, but as a reporter, I've seen enough wars up close to know how quickly people become brutal. 59 00:06:29,875 --> 00:06:36,973 "There is no war—not yesterday, not today, not tomorrow—in which combat cannot suddenly turn into a 60 00:06:36,973 --> 00:06:40,558 thirst for murder, sadism, and sexual violence. "