Author: Heribert Prantl

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Germany′s Federal Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maiziere

Germany and the semantics of exclusion

"We are not burka"

German Federal Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maiziere has doused a hotchpotch of both trivial and relevant concerns in the black, red and gold of the national flag and declared it to be the German "Leitkultur", meaning the country's core, dominant or leading culture. This is just plain silly. Commentary by Heribert PrantlMore

Germany′s integration debate revisited: Piling on the pressureThe refugee debate: What makes us German?Europe, Germany and ″Abendland″ angst: In the name of Christendom
Muslim doctor at work in a children′s hospital in Bonn (photo: picture-alliance/dpa)

Freedom of religion at work

Islam – a disruptive influence?

A ruling by the European Court of Justice allows employers to prohibit their staff from wearing headscarves. In doing so, it affords greater freedom to companies than it does to religion. A commentary by Heribert PrantlMore

Qantara dossier: The headscarf controversyGermany's headscarf ruling: What an imposition! The headscarf ruling from Germany's Consitutional Court: Heated debate on all sides
Iraqi refugee Laith Majid Al-Amirij with his daughter Noor in front of the Brandenburg Gate (photo: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Carstensen)

Germany′s refugee policy

Four words for humanity

"We can do it" – Merkel's utterance has become an historic remark. To actually pack it with some political substance is the big challenge of the 21st century. A commentary by Heribert PrantlMore

Syrian refugee Nather Henafe Alali: ″I am the misery of the 21st century″ Islam in Germany: "Democracy and human rights are just hollow words"Europe′s response to the refugee crisis: "Ugly, feckless and dysfunctional"
An overcrowded boat filled with refugees (photo: AP)

After the refugee catastrophe in the Mediterranean

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How the EU is killing refugees

The figure is shocking: an estimated 800 people lost their lives when a boat carrying refugees sank off the coast of Libya. According to Heribert Prantl, the EU has the ways and the means to rescue refugees in the Mediterranean, but because it is guided by a cynical logic, it is letting them drownMore

The Lampedusa tragedy: EU refugee policy is morally bankruptSyrian boat refugees in Egypt: "Head straight on to Europe!"Syrian refugees in Lebanon: "We will perish here!"Book review: Stefan Buchen on Syrian "escape helpers" – Germany's new public enemies?
Fully-veiled woman in a Paris station. Photo: Getty Images

Human rights court upholds burka ban in France

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An unfortunate ruling

Does the burka ban supported by the European Court of Human Rights help oppressed women? No, says Heribert Prantl: it's more likely to breed resentmentMore

Dossier: The headscarf controversyThe German Islam scholar Lamya Kaddor: Why I as a Muslim woman don't wear a headscarfWho is hidden beneath the burka? An appeal to the West
A woman holding two passports, one German, and one Turkish (photo: picture-alliance/dpa)

Dispute about Dual Citizenship in Germany

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Why the Obligation to Choose is Damaging Integration

The fight against dual citizenship is an assault on the reality of life in Germany. While it is true to say that those who want to assume German citizenship have to decide, they are not deciding whether to feel a little bit more Turkish or a little bit more German; they are deciding in favour of democracy, a state governed by the rule of law and the basic principles on which the constitution is built. A commentary by Heribert PrantlMore

Germany's Disputed Dual Citizenship Law: ''Everyone Must Be Able to Participate''Interview with Doug Saunders: ''Muslim Infiltration Is a Myth''Qantara.de Dossier: Migration in Germany

In brief

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Most Recent Photo Essay

Land of nomads and desert: Mauritaniaʹs extremely hot and arid climate explains its very low population density. In 2009, the country had just 4 million inhabitants spread over 1 million square kilometres. The Adrar plateau, located in the north of the country near Atar, is known for its gorges and dunes

Mauritania, land of desert and contrasts

Mauritania straddles the transition between the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa, its population is equally divided between Africans and Arabs. Berber women carefully veil themselves with colourful 'melhafas', their feet decorated with henna, while Wolof women show off their beautiful skin glistening with shea butter. By Pascal Mannaerts (www.parcheminsdailleurs.com)