Islamaphobia-Muslims' role in Germany questioned by German Interior Minister: NYTimes

[EastWest]

Muslims' role in Germany questioned by German Interior Minister: NYTimes

BERLIN — Germany’s new interior minister, appointed just last week, has already managed to upset politicians, church leaders and representatives of the Muslim community by saying that Islam is not a part of the German way of life.

“Islam in Germany is not something substantiated by history at any point,” the interior minister, Hans-Peter Friedrich, said at his first news conference in his new job, adding that Islam did not play a major role in German culture.

The Lutheran bishop of Berlin, Markus Dröge, responded on Sunday by saying he was surprised that Muslims were being singled out by some politicians in discussions of how to integrate Germany’s diverse communities.

“We have a way of life — it is democratic, open and based on dialogue and human rights,” Bishop Dröge told his congregation.

Mr. Friedrich reiterated his views about Islam over the weekend, but he also called for a dialogue between Christians and Muslims. Successful integration “requires two things: knowledge of the social reality in Germany and a clear awareness of the Western Christian origin of our culture,” he said in a statement.

Lamya Kaddor, chairwoman of the Liberal-Islamic Union in Germany, said that Mr. Friedrich’s remarks were a “slap in the face of Muslims.”

“Such statements are not only politically and historically wrong, I think they are dangerous,” Ms. Kaddor said. She added that Mr. Friedrich’s position would undermine progress between Muslims and Christians that previous interior ministers had encouraged.

Germany has been grappling with how best to integrate its four million Muslims into the society at large. The government is pushing for the children of non-German-speaking parents to develop better German language skills.

But in a recent visit to Germany, the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, urged Turkish parents who are living in Germany to teach their children the Turkish language before German.

Mr. Erdogan told a crowd of more than 11,000 people in Düsseldorf that the Turks in Germany should not assimilate, but integrate.

“I say yes to integration,” Mr. Erdogan said. “You should definitely integrate with the German society, but we are against assimilation. No one should be able to rip us away from our culture and civilization. Our children must learn German, but first they must learn Turkish.”

The controversy over Mr. Friedrich’s remarks coincided with the shooting deaths last week of two United States servicemen at the Frankfurt airport. A 21-year-old man from Kosovo was arrested in the terminal after fleeing from the shooting, and German prosecutors said they were trying to determine whether Islamic radicalism had played a role in the shootings.

The German Police Federation said the shootings were the first case of homegrown terrorism inspired by radical Islamic propaganda disseminated over the Internet.

Mr. Friedrich was appointed interior minister when Chancellor Angela Merkel reshuffled her cabinet in the wake of Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg’s resignation as defense minister.

 

[Moorkh]

Mr. Erdogan said. “You should definitely integrate with the German society, but we are against assimilation.

could someone explain what the difference between assimilation and integration is?

thanks

 

[KS]

Atleast some one has the guts to speak what is reality.

Mr. Friedrich reiterated his views about Islam over the weekend, but he also called for a dialogue between Christians and Muslims. Successful integration “requires two things: knowledge of the social reality in Germany and a clear awareness of the Western Christian origin of our culture,” he said in a statement.

could someone explain what the difference between assimilation and integration is?

thanks

Integration for example is German Turks living side by side with Native Germans in a harmonious way while Assimilation is German Turks losing their Turkish roots all-together and completely becoming Germans themselves.

 

[ashok321]

could someone explain what the difference between assimilation and integration is?

thanks

Assimilation means absorbing minorities into the ways of the majority - requiring them to adopt the majority's language, customs and 'values'.

Integration, by contrast, requires acceptance of a country's laws, of human rights such as freedom of speech, and of basic democratic rights, but does not require the eradication of all cultural differences or group-identities; it is conceived of as a two-way process, through which both the majority and the minorities influence and change one another, and in which differences can be peacefully accommodated as long is there a common commitment to living together.

Read more: Answers.com - What is the difference between assimilation and integration of ethnic relation

 

[KS]

.......And this is not Islamophobia. It is called asking the immigrants to adopt to Germany's laws and removal of ghettoisation of Muslims which is prevalent not only in Germany but in most countries where Muslims are the minority.

 

[ashok321]

Britain beaten by Germany in popularity contest - Telegraph


It is the highest ever rating for Britain in the BBC World Service Country Rating Poll. Last year, it was placed third.

Almost 29,000 people worldwide were asked to rate the positive and negative influence of 16 major nations.

Britain’s positive rating for 2011 was 58 per cent, up from 53 per cent in 2010. Negative views of Britain decreased by two per cent, now standing at 17 per cent.

Of the 27 countries polled, 24 were positive towards Britain while two, Pakistan and Mexico, have overall negative views.

Those with the most positive views of Britain were in the United States, at 80 per cent.

They were followed by Australia at 79 per cent and Canada at nearly 70 per cent. Germany was the most positively viewed nation, with 62 per cent of those surveyed rating its influence as positive.

A spokesman for Globescan, the company which carried out the survey, said: “To some degree everyone has done better this year – a reversal of the trend last year when the economic crisis affected ratings.

“Aside from last year’s slump, for the UK the aftermath of Iraq is receding. It’s our role on the world stage. We were seen to play a prominent role in the aftermath of the financial crisis. We are high profile as a successful, democratic, stable, developed country with relatively little baggage.”

He said Germany continued to benefit from its reputation as a wealthy nation.

“In terms of lifestyle and its high-quality products, Germany has a successful image and doesn’t have the baggage that countries like the US and China have, which can be seen as culturally controversial,” he said.

Canada was the third most popular of the countries polled, followed by
Japan, France and Brazil. The US came seventh ahead of China, South Africa and India.

The three most negatively viewed countries saw their average ratings drop significantly.
Iran was bottom of the poll with its negative rating at 59 per cent, up three points since last year, North Korea’s negative rating was up six points at 55 per cent. Pakistan’s negative rating was up five points at 56 per cent.

 

[KS]

Canada was the third most popular of the countries polled, followed by
Japan, France and Brazil. The US came seventh ahead of China, South Africa and India.

'

After all the Bollywood, curry,spices and Tandoori that we have exported we still come at a lowly 10.

 

[Areesh]

.......And this is not Islamophobia. It is called asking the immigrants to adopt to Germany's laws and removal of ghettoisation of Muslims which is prevalent not only in Germany but in most countries where Muslims are the minority.

Well this is definitely an example of Islamophobia. Well not only immigrants but hundreds of German Muslim converts might also find it difficult or even impossible to assimilate themselves with some particular German laws. So forcing laws towards a particular community gives a hint of paranoia this minister has towars muslim population. The german govt should make laws flexible enough to integrate all the sections of it's society.

 

[EastWest]

'

After all the Bollywood, curry,spices and Tandoori that we have exported we still come at a lowly 10.

Lets be optimistic!! may be we have not got better position because we have beaten the english in their own game many a times....We have the largest english speaking population in the world.

We are stealing all the white collar jobs in Britain

and recently we have also got more number of medals than England in CWG..

 

[EastWest]

Well this is definitely an example of Islamophobia. Well not only immigrants but hundreds of German Muslim converts might also find it difficult or even impossible to assimilate themselves with some particular German laws. So forcing laws towards a particular community gives a hint of paranoia this minister has towars muslim population. The german govt should make laws flexible enough to integrate all the sections of it's society.

what about laws in muslim countries which other religions find repressive.???

When muslims are in minority they expect the majority to change their laws for the sake of muslims..when muslims are in majority they force their laws on the minorities

 

[Areesh]

what about laws in muslim countries which other religions find repressive.???

When muslims are in minority they expect the majority to change their laws for the sake of muslims..when muslims are in majority they force their laws on the minorities

If they are really "repressive" they should be made flexible enough to eliminate all the ills that law has. If they are really "repressive" that is.

 

[KS]

Well this is definitely an example of Islamophobia. Well not only immigrants but hundreds of German Muslim converts might also find it difficult or even impossible to assimilate themselves with some particular German laws. So forcing laws towards a particular community gives a hint of paranoia this minister has towars muslim population. The german govt should make laws flexible enough to integrate all the sections of it's society.

If Immigrants have a problem with German laws they better stay in their own country. Why come to Germany ?

Conversely once you come into Germany on your own volition, better be prepared to face their laws however discriminatory they may be.

And the article clearly hints that it is about immigrants and not converted Germans.

Also this problem of 'integration' and 'ghettoisation' is there in almost every country where Muslims are in a minority. Not specific to Germany.

 

[Truth Teller]

Muslims know how to do defend ourselves. That's the reason westerners are angry, because we wont allow them to push us around or take advantage of us.

Unlike indians/hindus:

 

[KS]

Muslims know how to do defend ourselves. That's the reason westerners are angry, because we wont allow them to push us around or take advantage of us.

Unlike indians/hindus:

Golden words - but then you guys must also be prepared for the so-called Islamophobia phenomenon and must not cry about it. "Oh ! the world hates us".

 

[Truth Teller]

what about laws in muslim countries which other religions find repressive.???

When muslims are in minority they expect the majority to change their laws for the sake of muslims..when muslims are in majority they force their laws on the minorities

If you dont like our style, then dont come near us. Simple as that.

We wont change our lifestyle and Islamic traditions for anyone.

If we are really that oppressive, leave this forum, take your hindus with you. You'll be doing many people here a favour by leaving.