1. AN AMERICAN JEWISH – GERMAN INFORMATION & OPINION NEWSLETTER
dubowdigest@optonline.net
AMERICAN EDITION
April 7, 2013
Dear Friends:
I am told that the Federal Republic has had the coldest March on record. Perhaps it only
seemed that way but, nevertheless, when one is expecting spring warmth and is only
met by biting cold, it tends to make one’s outlook on life exceedingly dim.
The news seemed to reflect the weather.
Articles about the financial bailout of Cyprus – for which the Germans mostly pay – did
not make matters appear rosier. This coming on the salvaging of the Greek economy
made the weather seem even colder. The fact that (according to DW) “Honest
taxpayers are outraged over a global network established for the wealthy to evade
taxes” made the sharing of the bailing costs to be very unequal. It lowered the
temperature and outlook on life even further.
Turkish – German relations, important considering the number of Turks in Germany,
took a nosedive when the Turkish media was frozen out (pun intended) of seats at the
trial of the killer(s) of eight people of Turkish descent murdered by a neo-Nazi gang. The
court officials said it was not intentional. The Turkish media disagreed.
Add to that the fact that the media reported widely that this April marked the 80 th
anniversary of the Nazi systematic repression of the Jews which eventually resulted in
the Holocaust. In addition, a dispute broke out again as to whether Mein Kampf could
be again published in Germany.
The Germans could not wait for the winter cold to depart.
On the subject of departing, I am getting ready to leave (on Apr. 19th) for Germany to
staff the American delegation for the 33rd annual exchange program AJC has with the
Konrad Adenauer Foundation. I have been part of the program since its inception (a
third of a Century ago) and have staffed the delegations many times.
As I am now approaching the “twilight of my youth”, several months ago I spoke to
AJC’s Director David Harris and told him though I was in excellent health I thought it
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2. would best for the agency if someone younger took over the responsibility for the
Exchange. Therefore, the 2013 staffing assignment will be my last for this wonderful
program. I will continue my connection with AJC as a “Senior Advisor” and, of course,
will continue to publish DuBow Digest.
Enough! Let’s get on with the news…
IN THIS EDITION
WHAT IF… - What if Israel and Iran were at war. What would Germany do?
OUTLAWING THE NEO-NAZIS – A more ticklish matter than it might seem.
BERLIN JEWRY – OY VEY! – Can’t we love each other?
A PROVOCATIVE MUSEUM EXHIBIT – A Jew in the Box. Good for the Jews?
ISRAELIS IN GERMANY – Welcome by other Jews?
THE GERMAN PRESIDENT – Do you know him? Is he important?
MINORITIES IN BERLIN – AND IN THE U.S – Same? Differences?
AFRICAN GERMAN - A non-sports Jackie Robinson?
WHAT IF…
An important and interesting article appeared recently in The Wall Street Journaldealing
with what Germany should do if, indeed, a shooting war developed between Israel and
Iran. It was written by Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, a former German defense minister,
now at the Center for Strategic & International Studies and Ulf Gartzke who teaches at
Georgetown University's BMW Center for German and European Studies.
They raise the question of what Germany could and should do if such a war came to
pass.
They note, “Germany bears a special historical and moral responsibility to support Israel
against an Iranian threat. First, Israel's leaders and the Israeli public view the Iranian
peril primarily through the prism of the Holocaust. Proponents of a military strike on Iran
often point to the Shoah as ultimate proof that Tehran's threats to destroy the State of
Israel must be taken seriously. Second, ever since she became the first German
chancellor to address the Knesset, in 2008, Angela Merkel has repeatedly declared that
"Israel's security is part of Germany's raison d'être" and that it can "never be
negotiable."
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3. The chancellor's statement is as true as it is important. There can be no doubt that
Germany is Israel's closest and most vital ally in Europe. The two countries enjoy
exceptionally close defense and intelligence ties. Berlin provided significant funding to
help Israel acquire Germany's advanced "Dolphin" submarines, a critical boost to the
Israeli Defense Forces' deterrence capability. The German government also worked
behind the scenes to negotiate the release of former Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit from
Hamas captivity.
What's missing, however, is a broader debate—both in public and among top German
officials—about what Berlin should do if diplomacy fails and Israel is compelled to take
military action against the Iranian nuclear threat. Berlin's opposition to a strike on Iran's
nuclear sites is well-known. In fact, German diplomacy seems careful to avoid creating
the impression that Berlin expects or is even preparing for such an outcome. The fear is
that this kind of contingency planning might only encourage Israel to pursue a military
solution above other options.
There are good reasons for opposing a military showdown. But Berlin needs to explain
its options to the German people, while clearly stating that an Iran with nuclear weapons
would threaten core security interests for Israel, the West and the region. This kind of
strategic communications effort is even more important in a crucial Bundestag election
year, and at a time when counterproductive Israeli settlement proposals, as well as
German demographic and generational changes, risk undermining popular support for
the Jewish state. Opinion polls indicate that a majority of Germans view Israel as an
"aggressive" country that "pursues its interests without consideration for other nations."
Berlin should also start thinking about how to support Israel in the wake of potential air
strikes on Iran. It is better to develop a plan now than to engage in hectic ad-hoc
decision making once the crisis has erupted. Germany's first priority should be to offer
Israel civil and military assistance to defend against potential counterattacks. This could
be by offering medical equipment or reconnaissance specialists for weapons of mass
destruction, or by shoring up the Bundeswehr's naval presence in the eastern
Mediterranean. The deployment of Patriot antimissile batteries, though logistically
challenging, should also be considered.
Even if Israel's actual needs are limited, offering quick, tangible support is a powerful
show of solidarity and demonstrates that Israel is not facing this crisis alone.
Second, Berlin should immediately push for a comprehensive cease-fire to limit Iran's
ability to retaliate, for instance via its Hamas and Hezbollah proxies. This is not only in
the interest of the Israeli generals. It is also vitally important for the Western world to
keep the Straits of Hormuz open, to maintain Gulf stability and prevent attacks on
moderate Arab states, to deter large-scale international terrorist violence, and to avert
war between Israel and Lebanon or even Syria.
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4. Tehran may cry foul if an Israeli ally asks for a cease-fire following a pre-emptive strike.
Nevertheless, Berlin shouldn't underestimate its influence in a region where America's
credibility is strained, to put it mildly.
Finally, Germany needs to marshal its full political and economic weight to maintain a
tough international sanctions regime against Tehran. An attack on Iran might benefit the
mullahs if existing sanctions were eased as a result, thereby allowing them to
reconstitute their nuclear program with fewer restrictions moving forward.
Certainly, all of these undertakings come with risks. But at the moment, there isn't even
a closed-door discussion taking place about the potential options and responses.
Unless this changes, Germany risks a further deterioration of public opinion at home
even before any crucial decisions have been made.
The stakes are high. Germany cannot afford to be on the wrong side of history”
The article is obviously important because it raises the “What if…” question. The
possibility of a military conflict between Israel and Iran has to be taken seriously and
resultant actions by Germany should be shared with the citizenry in advance. It is a wise
and sensible thing to do. However, with a national election coming up in September I
doubt seriously that either major political party wants to talk about German involvement.
However, no one will be able to say that the questions were not raised. Zu Guttenberg
and Gartzke have performed a genuine service by writing this article.
The article, of course, raises the question of what would the U.S. do? Wouldn’t it be
worthwhile for our own government to start sensitizing the American public to the
possibilities of our involvement?
OUTLAWING THE NEO-NAZIS
I have been reporting for some time about the attempts in Germany to outlaw the neo-
Nazi NPD Party. The outlawing of any political party is a sensitive matter in Germany.
Hitler outlawed them all except the Nazi Party so there is discomfort about such an act.
In addition, there are the free speech elements which have to be considered.
One would have thought that the ruling coalition would start the legal ball rolling though
there are obvious legal hurdles that have to be surmounted. However, that’s not what
happened. It was the possibility of failure that intervened.
Spiegel On-Line reported, “ The German government is taking a back seat on attempts
to outlaw the right-wing extremist National Democratic Party, letting Germany's 16
states make their case at the nation's highest court alone. Editorialists support the
decision, saying right-wing extremism must be fought at the ballot box.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet has declined to submit an application to
ban the far-right National Democratic Party (NPD) at the country's highest court, after
disagreements in the governing coalition prevented it from coming to a consensus.
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5. The pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), the junior coalition party, said they
could not sign an application to outlaw the party. FDP chairman Philipp Rösler, also the
economy minister and vice chancellor, told reporters in Berlin on Monday that "you can't
ban stupidity," adding that the NPD must be fought with political means. The cabinet
decision was due to be formally announced to the public on Wednesday.
The NPD, which holds seats in two state parliaments, vehemently opposes immigration
and rejects the German constitution, claiming it was imposed on the country by the
victorious Allies after World War II. Germany's domestic intelligence agency has called it
a "racist, anti-Semitic, revisionist" organization determined to abolish democracy and
create a Fourth Reich.
Germany's upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, agreed last December to present
its own case against the NPD to the Karlsruhe-based Constitutional Court. But now the
decision by the cabinet not to join the Bundesrat, which represents Germany's 16
federal states, could weaken the body's case.
The Second Ban Attempt
News reports said the official cabinet statement acknowledged the Bundesrat's
application "with respect," but that it found submitting its own additional application to
outlaw the NPD "unnecessary."
The NPD took the unusual step in November last year of seeking to preempt a ban by
submitting its own request for the Constitutional Court to review its legality. The court
rejected the application earlier this month on procedural grounds.
In 2002 the cabinet, the Bundesrat and the lower-house Bundestag all petitioned the
Constitutional Court to outlaw the NPD. The court rejected the ban the following year on
the grounds that the party had been infiltrated by a number of government informants,
and that those agents had a hand in shaping its policy.
German media commentators on Tuesday mostly agree with the cabinet's decision.
They argue that while forcing the Bundesrat to make its case alone carries some risks,
another failure to ban the NPD at the Constitutional Court poses the even greater risk of
inadvertently making the party stronger.
It’s obvious that politicians across most of the political spectrum have grave doubts
about the outcome of a Constitutional Court case. They tried it once eleven years ago
and failed. This time the government is not willing to take the chance. No doubt – there
is strong feeling that the NPD should be outlawed but strong feeling does not always
carry the day when it comes to the courts.
So, we now have to wait to see what the Bundesrat will do and then what the courts will
rule if and when a case gets to them.
At this moment it’s a wait and see time. Stay tuned!
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6. BERLIN JEWRY – OY VEY!
The famous Jewish philosopher Eugene DuBow once said, “The end of the Jews will be
the Jews. Internecine warfare will finish us once and for all”. It seems that the Jewish
community of Berlin is making a sage out of DuBow.
Spiegel On-Line recently reported, “Amid accusations of waste, nepotism and smear
campaigns, long-established members of Berlin's Jewish Community are in open
conflict with relative newcomers from abroad. Severe financial difficulties are at the core
of their problems with one another.
The members of the parliament of the Jewish Community of Berlin have assembled
under the gilded dome of their synagogue on Oranienburger Strasse, where the mood is
festive. But what unfolds inside is anything but festive.
The Chairman of the Community, Gideon Joffe, 40, is standing in the middle, behaving
like a prosecutor. "The congregation's budget deficit in 2011 was not €3.5 million ($4.5
million), but €5 million." His predecessors, says Joffe, apparently fudged the numbers in
the annual report by overstating the value of real estate owned by the Community. An
onlooker, speaking with a Russian accent, hisses: "This is a case for the public
prosecutor."
In the end, the Jewish Community's parliament decides to appoint a committee to
investigate the real estate deals made by the previous board.
The conflicts are heated and emotionally charged in Germany's largest Jewish
community, which has about 10,200 members. Younger Russian immigrants are at
loggerheads with long-established West Berliners, many of them in retirement age. For
more than a year now, the chairman of the Community parliament has been an
immigrant. Now three representatives of those who were voted out of office are
collecting signatures for new elections to replace Chairman Joffe, who comes from a
Latvian family.
The conflicts revolve around power and wounded pride, intrigues, jobs and perks, as
well as shady business dealings. And because the Community has knowingly paid its
employees pensions that were too high for years, it now owes the city-state of Berlin
some €9 million. Late last year, the Berlin Senate felt compelled to issue a "recovery
order" and withhold €100,000 of the monthly subsidies allotted to the Community, a first
in Berlin politics.
Perhaps we should expect this sort of internal battling. You have an older group of
leaders some of whom whose families have been in Germany since the end of WW II.
By the way, practically none of them were German Jews but, rather, “Displaced
Persons” from all over Europe who did not leave for Israel or the U.S. They are the “old
timers”. Then there are the Russians that came after the fall of the Berlin Wall who are
finally trying to push their way into leadership positions.
Perhaps, this sort of friction should be expected. In addition “not everyone can love
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7. everyone else” so the battle has broken out into the open. In all likelihood DuBow will be
proven wrong. Didn’t we have the same battles in New York at the turn of the 20th
Century? German Jews and Eastern European Jews didn’t get along all that well and
somehow that is all behind us these days. So the same will probably happen in 20 or 30
years in Berlin.
P.S. I never liked DuBow’s philosophy anyway.
A PROVOCATIVE MUSEUM EXHIBIT
Since I’m on the subject of Berlin, I came across a piece in Fox News about a
provocative exhibit at the Jewish Museum in Berlin.
It reported, “Nearly 70 years after the Holocaust, there is no more sensitive an issue in
German life as the role of Jews. With fewer than 200,000 Jews among Germany's 82
million people, few Germans born after World War II know any Jews or much about
them.
To help educate postwar generations, the Jewish Museum in Berlin offers a Jewish man
or woman to sit inside a glass box for two hours a day through August to answer
visitors' questions about Jews and Jewish life. The base of the box asks: "Are there still
Jews in Germany?"
"A lot of our visitors don't know any Jews and have questions they want to ask,"
museum official Tina Luedecke said. "With this exhibition we offer an opportunity for
those people to know more about Jews and Jewish life."
But not everybody thinks putting a Jew on display is the best way to build understanding
and mutual respect.
Since the exhibit — "The Whole Truth, everything you wanted to know about Jews" —
opened this month, the "Jew in the Box," as it is popularly known, has drawn sharp
criticism within the Jewish community — especially in the city where the Nazis
orchestrated the slaughter of 6 million Jews until Adolf Hitler's defeat in 1945.
Eran Levy, an Israeli who has lived in Berlin for years, was horrified by the idea of
presenting a Jew as a museum piece, even if to answer Germans' questions about
Jewish life.
"It's a horrible thing to do — completely degrading and not helpful," he said. "The
Jewish Museum absolutely missed the point if they wanted to do anything to improve
the relations between Germans and Jews."
But several of the volunteers, including both German Jews and Israelis living in Berlin,
said the experience in the box is little different from what they go through as Jews living
in the country that produced the Nazis.
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8. "With so few of us, you almost inevitably feel like an exhibition piece," volunteer Leeor
Englander said. "Once you've been 'outed' as a Jew, you always have to be the expert
and answer all questions regarding anything related to religion, Israel, the Holocaust
and so on."
After some reflection I think I come down on the side of Leeor Englander. If you’re
Jewish living in Germany you are ipso facto considered an expert on all things Jewish.
Anything that anybody can do to explain to questioners about Jews, Judaism, Israel or
anti-Semitism seems to me to be all to the good. In fact my Germany Edition has the
same goal.
There is more to the story which you can read by clicking here.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/29/provocative-exhibit-at-jewish-museum-puts-
jews-in-box-to-answer-visitors/
ISRAELIS IN GERMANY
One hears frequently that many Israelis have been moving to Germany – especially
Berlin. However, numbers are difficult to come by (Impossible?). Two other things
frequently heard were that the Israeli government was not happy with this turn of events
(understandable) and that the Berlin Jewish community had, sort of, turned their backs
on them (not understandable).
The latter is no longer the case. The Berlin Jewish community now has established an
Israeli Department.
The Times of Israel recently reported, “As Israelis have learned, Berlin’s Jewish
community has a complicated history with outsiders. The birthplace of the Jewish
Enlightenment and Reform Judaism, it has often been less progressive in accepting
newcomers, partly out of fears relating to its own vulnerable status. In the late 19th and
early 20th centuries, native German Jews often referred to Jewish immigrants from
Eastern European as “Ostjuden,” literally “Eastern Jews,” but a term that carries a note
of derision. Ultimately, the old-timers’ attempts to distance themselves meant little —
Berlin’s Jewish community as a whole was almost completely exterminated during the
Holocaust.
After the war, the small community consisted mostly of refugees from Eastern Europe. It
expanded rapidly following the collapse of the Soviet Union, with the German
government, eager to revive the country’s Jewish life, offering generous benefits to
immigrants. About 20,000 chose Berlin, and half today are registered as official
members of the community. They were joined over the past five years by a wave of
Israelis — including Oraizer and his family — numbering between 5,000 and 15,000,
according to estimates by the Israeli embassy in Berlin.
About 150 showed up for the launch of the new initiative, held in the renovated New
Synagogue, which also serves as the offices of the community. There they found a
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9. buffet with hummus and little Israeli flags on the chairs. The message, clearly, was that
they were welcome.
“For too long, we have done too little,” said Dr. Gideon Joffe, the Israeli-born chairman
of the Jewish Community’s board, who moved to Germany as a child. “We’ve heard a
lot about Israelis coming to Berlin, but until now, we’ve done little to help them. That has
changed …
There was mixed emotion on the part of the people at the meeting. Dr. Joffe’s talk was
not enthusiastically received by everyone. You can read about it by clicking here.
Obviously, there are mixed emotions about Israelis coming to live in Germany.
However, now, at least, the Jewish community in Berlin is dealing with it.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/berlin-jews-formally-welcome-israelis-long-in-their-
midst/#.UVRRpKQISWE.email
THE GERMAN PRESIDENT
I believe it is often forgotten (or not even known) that Germany has a President as well
as a Chancellor. If you missed it somehow, the current President, Joachim Gauck is
(Wikipedia) “A former Lutheran pastor, he came to prominence as an anti-communist
civil rights activist in East Germany.
During the Peaceful Revolution, he was a co-founder of the New Forum opposition
movement in East Germany, which contributed to the downfall of the Soviet-backed
dictatorship of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). In 1990 he served as a
member of the only freely elected People's Chamber for the Alliance 90.
Following German reunification, he was elected by the Bundestag as the first Federal
Commissioner for the Stasi Archives, serving from 1990 to 2000. As Federal
Commissioner, he earned recognition as a "Stasi hunter" and "tireless pro-democracy
advocate," exposing the crimes of the former communist secret police.
In 2010 Gauck was put up as a presidential candidate by the Green and SPD partiesbut
lost to CDU candidate Christian Wulff. When Wulff resigned (scandal) about a year ago,
Gauck was nominated again and this time was elected.
According to DW, “Although the German president's role is mostly limited to ceremonial
and supervisory duties, the position allows its holder to steer political and social
debates. Joachim Gauck has tackled controversial issues head on.
Much time passed before Joachim Gauck held his first major speech as president of
Germany. In February 2013 - 11 months after taking office - he invited some 200 guests
to his official residence, the Bellevue Palace in Berlin, to talk about European
cooperation. Germany has expected lofty oratory from its heads of state at least since a
1997 speech by Roman Herzog in which the former president memorably urged the
country to go in new directions.
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10. The current president spoke in no uncertain terms of a crisis of confidence in Europe,
marked by "impatience, exhaustion and frustration among the people." He noted that
the eurozone debt crisis combined with globalization had led to uncertainty over
whether Europe was on the right path. The way ahead requires a new driving force, he
said, "an identity-forging narrative that touches hearts and triggers constructive actions."
As a solution, he called for a renaissance of certain shared European values that have
evolved over centuries, emphasizing tolerance, equality, solidarity, cooperation and
altruism. This, according to the German president, requires a new sense of a European
public, perhaps aided by measures like the creation of a pan-European television
channel.
One of Gauck’s first visits was to Israel. In May of last year, Spiegel On-Line reported,
“While Germany's new president, Joachim Gauck, has been on his first state visit to
Israel this week, images in the papers at home have shown him visiting the Israeli
Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres and
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
But it has been the popular president's choice of words when describing the country's
relationship to Israel that have generated headlines.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday in Jerusalem, Gauck appeared to distance himself
from German Chancellor Angela Merkel's stated position that the security of Israel is
Germany's raison d'état, or national interest, and that Germany would stand by Israel
even in the event of war with Iran -- comments for which she herself has been heavily
criticized at home.
"I don't want to think of war scenarios," Gauck said, but added, "Germany should be the
very last country to turn away from friendship and solidarity with Israel."
At a meeting with Peres that same day, Gauck said: "Advocacy for Israel's security and
right to exist is a defining part of German policy." By avoiding use of the term raison
d'état, however, Gauck has been criticized at home for overstepping his bounds as
president, a largely ceremonial post.
On Wednesday, he responded to the criticism of his remarks. "If someone wants to see
a divide between the chancellor and me because of a choice of words, that would be a
mistake," he said in Jerusalem. "I completely agree with Angela Merkel on this issue."
Joachim Gauck has now been in office for a year. I have always felt that the President
in Germany, the “moral voice” of the country is of special importance to the Jewish
people and to Jewish interests. He sets an important tone. Therefore, it is vital to follow
what he has to say. So far so good!
By the way, (DW again), “Gauck's approach has met with approval in Germany.
According to surveys, three out of four Germans are satisfied with his performance.
Only 10 percent were critical of the president. These statistics have hardly changed in
the year since he assumed office. It seems that Gauck has not made many mistakes so
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11. far, although he's also far from a political star.”
MINORITIES IN BERLIN – AND IN THE U.S.
Anyone who knows anything about Germany knows that it has a large non-citizen
population of Turkish descent. And – anyone who knows anything about minority life in
the U.S. knows that while it is far different than the Federal Republic both countries face
problems centering on the questions of immigration and citizenship.
Robert H. Reid, writing for AP notes in an article that appeared in many papers across
the U.S. notes, “More than three million people of Turkish origin live in Germany - the
legacy of West Germany's Cold War-era program to recruit temporary foreign labor
during the boom years of the 1950s and 1960s when the country rebuilt after World War
II.
What started as a temporary program has changed the fabric of German urban life -
from mosques on street corners to countless shops selling widely popular Doener
kebab fast food sandwiches.
Germany's experience with "guest workers" offers lessons for the United States as it
debates immigration reform, including whether to provide a path to citizenship for
unskilled foreign laborers, or whether there should be additional temporary-only visas
for such workers. President Barack Obama has urged Congress to begin debate in April
after lawmakers return from a two-week recess.
Decades after Germany's formal guest worker program ended in the early 1970s, the
country is still wrestling with ways to integrate Turks - the second biggest group among
the estimated 15 million-strong immigrant community after ethnic Germans who moved
from the former Soviet Union and for Soviet bloc countries - into German society.
Initially, the Germans felt they didn't need an integration path.
They foresaw a temporary program of rotating labor, where workers from Turkey, the
Balkans and southern Europe would spend a couple of years on an assembly line and
then go home to be replaced by others if industry still needed them.
But factory managers grew tired of retraining new workers every couple of years and
convinced authorities to allow contract extensions.
Many immigrants, especially young Turkish men who faced grinding unemployment at
home, opted to stay in Germany, bringing their families and building lives here despite
discrimination in education, housing and employment.
Although immigrants could stay legally with government-issued residence permits, they
could not apply for citizenship for 15 years, although the period has been shortened in
recent years. Without fluent German, and state-supported language programs, many
were unable to pursue good educations and well-paying jobs.
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12. As a result, the Turkish community remains the least integrated immigrant group in
Germany, according to the private Berlin Institute for Population and Development.
Immigration critics blame the Turks for refusing to abandon traditions of rural Turkey,
failing to learn German and take advantage of educational opportunities. Critics note
that more than 90 percent of marriages by ethnic Turks are to other Turks - in part
because of cultural restrictions against marrying outside the Muslim faith.
Over the years, the existence of a parallel society of marginalized people speaking a
different language and following different religious and social customs has triggered a
backlash in a country which only recently has considered itself a nation that welcomes
immigrants.
German attitudes toward immigration and citizenship also proved an obstacle to full and
rapid integration. Although attitudes are changing, Germany never perceived itself as an
immigrant society like the United States. German society values conformity.
Unlike the United States, Germany does not automatically grant citizenship to anyone
born on German soil. Even though the naturalization process has been shortened, it still
takes years and requires knowledge of the German language and history.
In 2000, a new law granted German citizenship to German-born children of longtime
legal residents. By age 23, those children must decide whether to keep German
citizenship or their parents' nationality.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's government has refused calls from Turkish and other
immigrant communities to allow dual citizenship. Many immigrants are reluctant to apply
for German citizenship because they want to hold on to their original nationality.
The American and German situations are, of course, very different and I’m not sure we
can learn anything from the German situation, In fact, the shoe might be on the other
foot - Germany can probably learn a lot from us. As Reed points out, “Germany never
perceived itself as an immigrant society”. However, open borders, 21st Century
transportation and the movement of populations just about force every country in the
Western World to be an “immigrant society”. The head of the Green Party is of Turkish
descent as are several members of the Bundestag. A mixed population in Germany will
take a few more generations for the “natives” to get used to it. They’re working on it. It
will make them a better nation.
AFRICAN GERMAN
Recently the American media has been loaded with stories about a new movie, “42”
about the first African American baseball player, Jackie Robinson. His name has been
celebrated throughout the U.S. for many years. No such publicity has appeared as yet
in Germany about Karamba Diaby but one of these days it might be.
So, who is Karamba Diaby? According to Spiegel On-Line, “In July 1991, two youths
punched Karamba Diaby in the face and chased after him in a racist attack in Halle, an
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13. eastern German town with a significant neo-Nazi problem. Now he's about to campaign
in the city to become the first black member of the German parliament in the September
general election.
Diaby, 51, who has a PhD in chemistry, was born in Senegal and has spent almost
three decades in Germany. He moved to East Germany in 1985 before the fall of the
Wall to study at the University of Leipzig before moving to Halle a year later. He has
been nominated as the candidate for the center-left Social Democratic Party. The fact
that he has been given the third slot in the party's list of candidates means he has a
very solid chance of securing a seat in the Bundestag, or federal parliament, in Berlin.
"It could be that some people have problems with the color of my skin," he told
SPIEGEL. "But I hope I will be accepted because I am involved in many projects."
Diaby gained German citizenship in 1991, is married to a German and has two children.
He doesn't like talking about what campaigning is like for a black person in Germany.
He doesn't want to belittle the problem of racism in eastern Germany, but he doesn't
want to accuse all voters of racism either. He'd prefer just to be able to ignore his origins
and to focus the campaign on his pet issues like education, social justice and the
environment.
That may not be possible though. Two years ago, the right-wing newspaper Junge
Freiheit printed a photo of him on its front page and shortly afterwards Diaby, who was
working on a project to help immigrants integrate into German society, was showered
with abusive letters calling him a "Nigger" and telling him to "get back into the bush."
These days, he says he doesn't suffer from neo-Nazi violence. "I can take a taxi when
I'm in an uncomfortable neighborhood," he says. In some districts in the city, the far-
right National Democratic Party (NPD) scored almost 10 percent of the vote during the
last state election in 2011. And some parts aren't even considered safe for people with
darker skin at night.
As a campaigner, he says he's going to get out and meet many people. "I'm not naïve,"
he says. "I don't rule out that someone might feel provoked."
But he adds that he won't let himself be intimidated. "I'm an authentically eastern
German politician," says Diaby.
When Jackie Robinson broke into baseball there were very mixed emotions in the U.S. I
doubt that anyone at that time thought he would become one of America’s iconic heroes
and that his number would be retired throughout organized baseball for all time. I’m not
sure that the same fame and acclaim will be wrought in the future for Mr. Diaby.
However, you have to give the guy a lot of credit. He’s got real cojones!
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See you again in May.
DuBow Digest is written and published by Eugene DuBow who can be contacted by
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