Too Left for Germany
Jannine Menger Hamilton is an immigrant who was raised and educated in Germany. Hamilton appears to be the star example of successful integration and yet she is being denied naturalization because she is a member of a leftist party which according to German authorities is too left. Those preventing Hamilton’s citizenship status are contending that […]
German authorities arrest suspected Islamist fundraisers
German police arrested two men, and one woman for allegedly sending money to the Islamic Jihad Union. The Jihad Union is suspected of planning to carry out terrorist attacks on various German targets. One man, and the women were arrested in the southern city of Ulm having sent $3620 to the Union, while the other […]
Leading conservative calls for more immigrant naturalisation
In this article it is suggested that a more successful integration can be achieved if Germany worked harder at naturalizing members of its large immigrant population. In this way a more inclusive environment could perhaps open up a discourse to better examine the problems that many immigrants (and children of immigrants) face in Germany today. […]
Turks face integration challenges in Germany
This article focuses on the difficulty Turkish Germans have when trying to claim a German identity. It brings up problems in defining German identity, where one woman appears to have been well-integrated as a child — dressing like other German girls and refraining from wearing the head scarf — but is ultimately unable to have […]
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 […]
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 […]
Music Video “(Ich bin ein) Ausländer” by Alpa Gun
This music video “(Ich bin ein) Auslaender” by Alpa Gun, a German rapper with Turkish origin (www.wikipedia.org), depicts the integrations problem of immigrants, particularly the children and grandchildren of the Post-World War II generation. These people were often born in Germany and/or have a German passport.
‘We Are Not Really Germans’ New Study Looks at Challenges Faced by Germany’s Muslims
This article speaks to the many difficulties Muslim immigrants living in Germany face with regard to finding work and participating in the public sphere. These issues not only effect new immigrants but also second and third generation children of foreign parents who were themselves born in Germany and consider Germany their homeland.