Müll im Garten Eden (Garbage in the Garden of Eden)
This documentary follows villagers in Turkey’s Black Sea village of Çamburnu as they struggle with the central government’s decision to turn establish a garbage dump in the hills above their community. The film is not currently for sale in the US. Links: IMDB, Official Site, Film-portal Genre(s): Documentary Theme(s): Democracy; Activism; Spatial or Temporal Spaces and Borders;
Turkish – German writer criticized
This article talks about a Turkish-German writer who defends democracy, freedom, enlightenment, secular order and civil society. Necla Kelek’s new book “casts a critical look at Islam and condemns the oppression and lack of freedom within Turkish communities and families in Germany.” This comes from her own life experience, which she has often shared: Before […]
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 […]
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 […]
Gender Gap in Germany
This article highlights the growing wage gap between women and men in Germany. According to this article women on average earn about 23% less than their male colleagues. This number is 5% higher than EU’s average, and somewhat higher than that of last year. This article suggests that many believe that reducing the gender pay […]
US-Turkey relations
This article summarizes the crucial role Turkey plays in a diverse set of important areas, seen form the US point of view. “Given Turkey’s history as a secular democratic stat that respects the rule of law, but is also a majority Muslim nation, it plays a critical role…in helping to shape mutual understanding […]
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 […]
Studie zu “Ehrenmorden”
Ein Bericht über eine Studie zu “Ehrenmorden”, die viel Aufmerksamkeit in der deutschen Presse finden, aber nicht unbedingt als solche bezeichnet werden sollten. Die Zeit: Was den Mord zum Ehrenmord macht