Right-Wing Extremism: Far-right party allowed to distribute CDs to students
I included this article because upon first reading I found it surprising that such far-right ideology was still being exposed in Germany. Given its history over the last 80 or so years i would have thought such extremist rhetoric would be far more taboo; yet I suppose it also caters to the fears of many […]
Far-Right Rhetoric Germany’s Very Own Minaret Debate Turns Nasty
This article speaks to the recent debate over the building of minarets on mosques in many countries within the European Union. It is another instance of contention over the perceived “Islamicization” of Europe through the increased visibility of Islam in European cities. In this article (which focuses on a small town in Westphalia) Islam is […]
Berliners fight anti-Semitism among Muslims
The growing diversity in Germany hasn’t meant complete acceptance of these foreign peoples into German society, but in a gross corruption of acceptance and tolerance, there is to be found a number of Muslims who hold anti-Semitic sentiments. Anti-Semitism is an extremely sensitive topic in Germany, and most Germans today view anti-Semitism as wrong. While […]
Taking a Stand Against Tax Cheats
In a controversial move, German government officials agreed to purchase a particular CD at the cost of 2.5 million euros ($3.5 million) from a whistler-blower. On the CD is a list of alleged suspects who are said to have illegally hid money in Swiss bank accounts to avoid paying tax on such funds. Now the […]
“Fremd im eigenen Land” by Advanced Chemistry
The song “Fremd im eigenen Land” (translated as “Foreign in my own Country”) by the German rap group Advanced Chemistry tackles the issue of racism faced by non-white Germans. Through “Fremd im eigenen Land” the band members, who are all German citizens with ethnic backgrounds, attempted to bring to light the problems facing modern German […]
Traurige Lieder – Söhne Mannheims
This song characterizes exactly how dramatic the racial tensions are within Germany. Söhne Mannheims is a multiethnic band from Germany, made up of fourteen friends who have all been involved in the music scene and are actively involved in political and race debates within the country, personally but also through their music. Xavier Naidoo is […]
Banning the ‘Burqa’: France’s Quest to maintain its Secular Identity
The article “Banning the ‘Burqa’: France’s Quest to maintain its Secular Identity” deals with the ban of the full veil. According to the article, a parliamentary committee has recommended full veils in France. This happened a few months after President Sarkozy declared the burqa and niqab unwelcome in France. However, the article also states that […]
Extremist Swede gives anti-Islam party millions
In an attempt to prevent the nation of Germany from becoming “too foreign” Swedish businessman Patrik Brinkmann has announced that he will be investing five million Euro into an anti-Islam populist party based in Cologne called Pro NRW. Brinkmann feels assured in the right-wing party’s success and hopes that its relative unnoticed stature will allow […]
Berlin’s Museum of Islamic art reaches out to new audiences
Berlin’s Museum of Islamic art is vastly expanding. The museum plans to reach out to non-Islamic people by “making sense of the present through the past”. In this article, Stefan Weber, in charge of the expansion, seems to genuinely want to reach out to the German people and teach them about Muslim culture. His ideas […]
“Nur nicht auffallen” von Claudia Keller, Der Tagesspiegel, 1.2.2010
The article describes the life of the Martinez family, a family that lives illegally in Berlin and the challenges they face to keep their status from the authorities. They live a relatively normal middle class life but beneath the surface constantly struggle. Their predicament is just one example of many facing illegal residents. Approximately 50,000 […]