Two conversations pt. 2: Merkel rebuffs call for Turkish schools in Germany
Soon after the Turkish Prime Minister’s call for fully-Turkish secondary schools to be established in Germany, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has come out to reject the PM’s plans, calling for integration through learning the German language and German customs. Many Turks in Germany have also denounced the Turkish PM’s plan, saying that it would hinder […]
Muslim groups consider boycott of German-Islam conference
The German-Islam conference, last held in 2006, was a step made by the German government to better communicate with the Muslim community in Germany, giving them a platform to speak about their problems about poverty, integration, unemployment, poor academic performance of Muslim children and more. However, the German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere has decided […]
Two conversations pt. 1: Turkish schools in Germany would ‘show respect’ for culture
Recently, the Turkish Prime Minister has suggested establishing fully-Turkish language teaching secondary (high) schools in Germany. The article is an interview conducted between Deutsche-Welle and Ulrich Raiser, a member of Network Migration in Europe, an EU partly-financed think tank. Mr. Raiser thinks that the main goal of having Turkish schools is to better integrate Turkish […]
Traveling exhibition in Berlin sheds new light on Islamic art
This summer Berlin’s Martin-Gropius-Bau exhibition hall will be hosting his Royal Highness Aga Khan IV private collection of Islamic art. According to Luis Monreal, director of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, each piece was chosen “to present some of the fundaments of Islam: the value of the written word, the Quran, and the importance […]
German Youths become Islamic Extremist Expats
According to Germany’s Federal Office of Criminal Investigation (BKA), a colony of German Muslim extremist youths has taken hold of the Afghan-Pakistani border. These young people are recruited in Germany and then sever all ties with their homeland and head for a place where they believe that the “Koran stands above everything.” These youths are […]
Same Same but Different
A new film by German film maker Detlef Buck, centered around a love story between a German man and a Cambodian ex-prostitute wins the Piazza Grande at Locarno. Buck’s comments on his “modern love story” show a progressive way of thinking. He says this story is “just an example of those who are in the […]
Islam Critic Necla Kelek: An Enthusiastic Defender of Freedom
The subject of this article is Necla Kelek, a controversial Turkish-German writer who grew up “in a completely Turkish world” under patriarchal authority, where she “experienced what it was not to be free.” Kelek is known for her criticism of the oppressive aspects of Islam as well as her praise of Western society and its […]
Kebab-Cutting Robot Stars In Germany’s First Döner Trade Fair
This article illustrates the growing popularity of turkish food and culture in Germany, detailing the increased appreciation for kebabs by Germans. It is a light-hearted example of some of the perks of being a multikulti society, and I think a good balance compared to the heavier themes more prevalent in news on immigrants/immigration.
It Makes No Sense to Ban the Burqa
This article is about the purported banning of the burqua and niqab in Belgium, following France’s lead in proposing legislation that would outlaw the wearing of these religious garments in the public sphere. The author of this article does raise a good point in that the banning of these articles is treating a symptom rather […]