Xenophobia
All topics-
New Year′s Eve and Islam in Germany
A gift from the gods
What happened in Cologne is being instrumentalised on all sides. Islamist preachers such as Pierre Vogel and Muslim representatives in Germany are using the events to clalm that salvation lies, as ever, in the strict observance of religious rules. This is simply serving to widen the rift, writes Stefan Buchen
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Cologne: New Year's Eve mob
Thinly veiled racism
Our outrage over the sexist Muslim male reveals a need to feel superior. It expresses a brand of cultural chauvinism that co-opts feminism as a means of diverting attention from its own sexist and racist shortcomings. A contribution by Khola Maryam Hübsch
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Interview with the Islam scholar John Louis Esposito
Islam′s image problem
In conversation with Habib El Mallouki, the renowned US Islam scholar John Louis Esposito talks about burgeoning Islamophobic and right-wing populist tendencies in Europe and the US as a consequence of the terrorist activities of radical Islamist groups
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Sexual assaults at Cologne′s main station
#KoelnHbf – An attack on my freedom
The sex attacks at Cologne's main railway terminal are intolerable, regardless of where the perpetrators come from. An outcry is essential (#aufschrei). It is not acceptable that women in Germany become a target. Commentary by Sarah Judith Hofmann
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Cologne: sexual assaults and the press code
Outrage reaches new heights
Reports on the sexual attacks on New Year's Eve in Cologne have intentionally emphasised the ethnic origins of the offenders. With what reason? A commentary by Daniel Bax
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Interview with migration researcher Naika Foroutan
"We need a debate about ourselves"
Naika Foroutan is professor of Integration Research and Social Policy at Berlin′s Humboldt University. In interview with Karen Kruger she speaks of prejudice against Muslims and addresses the question of guiding principles for today′s Germany
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The refugee debate
What makes us German?
Talking about foreigners is always easier than pinpointing what makes us unique. Yet, on the whole, it's actually quite easy to say what's German. The only problem is that we then need to draw the right conclusions. An essay by Armin Nassehi
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Israel in the media
Fighting the empty phrase
In Germany, public statements about Israel often lack quality. The quality of media discourse comes from knowledge and precise observation, but also from controversy and a diversity of voices. When it comes to Israel, something else sets the tone: the empty phrase
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Racism in Germany
The taint of PEGIDA journalism
No one who has written in support of a "culture of rejection" should be surprised by the Pirincci scandal, or that someone might lash out in response. Robert Misik considers the debate
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Hungary and Islam
Defending Christendom
Although Hungary is just a transit nation for many refugees on their way to Western Europe, the country's government – led by right-wing nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban – has been conducting a campaign of xenophobia for months. Background by Stefan Buchen
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Book review: "The Bamboo Stalk" by Saud Alsanousi
A life uprooted and replanted
The world is familiar with reports about the exploitation of migrant labourers in the Gulf region. In 2013, Saud Alsanousi's book "The Bamboo Stalk", which focuses on the experiences of a young man in Kuwait who is half Kuwaiti, half Filipino, won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. This novel shines a light on the discrimination and rejection experienced by so many migrants in this region. Nahrain Al-Mousawi read the book
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Migration and xenophobia
Europe's refugee problem, then and now
This is not the first time that Europe has faced a wave of desparate refugees. Nor is it the first time that its response has left a lot to be desired. According to Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the continent should recall its past when considering how to deal with the people who are willing to risk everything crossing the Mediterranean to reach its shores