Multiculturalism
All topics-
"Bukahara"
Global buskers
Bukahara are a band living the dream – from street buskers to recording artists. The world music combo has just released their second CD "Strange Delight", which they produced themselves. Ceyda Nurtsch asked the musicians about the secret of their success
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Electro Festival "Les Dunes Electroniques" in Tunisia
Beats and bass in the desert
Young people from Tunisia and beyond recently descended on the desert where George Lucas filmed parts of his "Star Wars" films to celebrate North Africa's biggest festival of electronic music. The government actively supported the event, and it looked as if the festival was going to be a great success, but then the bad weather kicked in. Jannis Hagmann reports from Nefta
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Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia
A third way, yes, but one that acknowledges the complexity of today's realities
Terrorist attacks, the rise of hate-crimes and extremism threaten the cohesion of European societies. All of these events underline the need for a "third way", one that neither strives for isolation nor promotes animosity. Yet a "third way" must not turn a blind eye to the impact of hate-speech and hate-crimes on the collective conscience of a targeted group. And it has to resist the temptation to exaggerate reality for the sake of its mission. By David Neuwirth
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Religious communities in the Middle East
No to sectarianism; yes to equal citizenship!
The author and media commentator Khaled Hroub believes that Christians, Muslims, Jews and followers of other religions can only live peacefully together in the Middle East if people in these countries stop looking at each other in terms of their faith and start treating everyone – without exception – as citizens with equal rights
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The Salaam-Shalom Initiative
Breaking down artificial walls
A year after its launch, the Salaam-Shalom Initiative has become one of the biggest intercultural groups in Berlin with dozens of events in mosques, synagogues and community centres. Armin Langer looks back on an eventful year
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The sudden rise of Germany's Islamophobic Pegida movement
"The product of a nervous society"
In the past week, there have been a number of well-attended marches against the "Islamisation of the West" in German cities. These marches were organised by supporters of Pegida (Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West). Why has the Pegida movement in Germany grown so much so fast? In this interview with Dennis Stute, sociologist Oliver Nachtwey says that political parties are a key factor and warns against the wrong knee-jerk response
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Interview with the French Islam expert Gilles Kepel
Passion and suffering
For three decades now, the renowned French sociologist and political scientist Gilles Kepel has been monitoring the development of Muslim societies. He sees a close connection between the developments in the French suburbs and the events in the Arab world. Beat Stauffer spoke to him in Paris
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The Young Danish poet Yahya Hassan
Whiz kid from the ghetto
Barely 18 years old, Yahya Hassan has thrilled readers and enriched Denmark's literary scene with his first volume of poetry. He also polarises opinion. Daniel Bax on Denmark's new poetry sensation
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Muslims in German political parties
The diversity trend
In Germany, both the Greens and the Christian Democrats have had working groups for Muslim members for some time now. In February, the Social Democrats followed suit. Are these new groups really and truly different? Or are Germany's main political parties simply jumping on the diversity trend bandwagon? By Ulrike Hummel
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Multicultural classrooms
An opportunity not a problem
It is increasingly the case that students from different nations, cultures and religions sit together in the same classroom. Experts at the University of Hildesheim in Germany are considering how teachers worldwide can better prepare themselves for this kind of diversity. Anke Martina Witt takes a look at how this issue is adressed in Germany, Canada, Norway and Turkey
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Integration in Germany
Finally growing up
Attitudes and approaches to integration in Germany have changed a lot over the past 20 years. During this period, Germany has gone from a denial that it is a country of immigration to a concerted effort to improve integration. Aladin El-Mafaalani takes a closer look at what has changed
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Book review: Klaus J. Bade on Thilo Sarrazin
Forget Sarrazin!
In 2010, the German politician and former member of the board of the Bundesbank Thilo Sarrazin, caused a nationwide uproar with his hugely controversial theories on intelligence, class, race, immigration and multiculturalism. The prominent migration specialist Klaus J. Bade has now written a book on the ensuing debate. According to Andreas Pflitsch, Bade's analysis is thorough, but he completely misses the essence of the matter