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  • Racism in Germany

    Racism in Germany

    I am not racist, but very frequently you hear these words in Germany, and they are often used before a tirade against foreigners. Of course, racism is a worldwide phenomenon, but it is a fact that Germans have a reputation for being an extremely racist people. Many Germans are very offended by this and claim that it is not true. Haven’t we taken in more refugees than all other European Union member states together? Don’t they owe their lives to us? Don’t we give them homes? What is racist about that? These are tirades that they argue vehemently. However, if you look at the matter more closely, you will see that those arguments are neither sufficient nor convincing.

    If you look at the way refugees are treated instead at how many there are living here, you will not exactly find proof for Germany’s anti-racism. Some refugee camps are so run-down and filthy that even animals would be extremely unhappy there. Some refugees live in rooms without windows, and if they earn money, they even have to pay for such a place to live.

    Moreover, even decent refugee camps are always very dangerous places, because they are popular targets for crazy neonazis who might throw bombs at them. This has happened far too often already. There is a huge amount of hatred behind all that. What is worst, and what scares me very much, is that nothing is really being done about neonazis. Even their political party called NPD (Germany’s nationalistic party, or Nationalsozialistische Partei Deutschlands) still exists, which I find unbelievable, especially considering Germanys history. To me, even the resemblance of that party’s name to Hitler’s NSDAP (Germany’s Nationalist workers party, or Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), which existed during the Third Reich, is very offensive. However, it is not only neonazis that foster so much hate against foreigners. Near my home town, for example, an African was killed by policemen some years ago.

    Germans always claim to be tolerant and open-minded towards other cultures. This might be true for certain cultures, namely those similar to our own, like people from Europe, North America or Australia. However, the picture is totally different with foreigners from more exotic places, especially for those with a dark skin. Among those, refugees are certainly the least popular inhabitants of Germany, but they are by no means the only kind of foreigners being ostracized. I have nothing against them, but they should keep to themselves, and so should we, many Germans argue, completely unaware of the contradiction within this statement. For reasons probably not even clear to them, many people think that spending time with blacks will ruin someone’sreputation.

    Any person who believes that the German society is not racist should look at the way many parents react when their daughter or son has a black partner. Some will even refuse to regard their child as a member of their family any longer. Moreover, Germans with black partners walking along the street will merely be stared at if they are lucky, or if not, they will be called abusive names. Watching such scenarios will surely make anyone at least doubt the fact that Germans are friendly towards foreigners.

    As usual in such matters, one should be careful not to generalise. There are German people who are extremely open-minded. An old lady once invited me and an African friend to sit with her in the tram and spoke to us in a very friendly way throughout our journey. However, I have found such people and situations to be the exception. Certainly there is some degree of racism in any country, but I still have to say that Germany gives a particularly bad picture, especially compared to other European countries. During my holidays in Sweden, Ireland or England I have walked along the street with African, Japanese and Indian people, and I have never been stared at as I have in Germany.

    To me, it is apparent that there is far too much racism in my country and that it must be fought with much more determination than politicians are showing at this stage.

    The Cheers

    A comment from a reader

    Andreas Muller says on 2010-02-18 22:07:24 about Racism in Germany

    Of course we are racist as German and we are very proud on that. But there are many racists in USA too. Racism in USA is other matter. Now the topic is about this fact, that Germans are centre of extreme racism and it’s true. Our racism is hidden and modernized into sadistically making pain to foreigners. We ruin the life of foreigners and we conspire against them. For us the foreigners are like home animal or prisoners. We as Germans want to make a new spread fascism around the world by our lobbies in other countries.

  • Spy movie tussle with Israeli security services by journalist in shoot to kill inquiry

    Spy movie tussle with Israeli security services by journalist in shoot to kill inquiry

    by Mark Weiss in Jerusalem

    The Israeli journalist forced into exile in London after the military launched an investigation into leaked documents has said his life now resembles a “spy movie.”

    Uri Blau, who acquired 2,000 military documents, including 700 classified as ‘top secret’, claimed in an article for the Haaretz newspaper that he was scared to leave Britain to return home where he faces the threat of arrest.

    A Tel Aviv court lifted a gag order on Tuesday over a case against Anat Kam, a 23-year old female soldier who has been charged with national security offences for passing the documents revealing the military targetted assasination policy to Mr Blau.

    Mr Blau claimed he was being targeted by the Israeli authorities for doing his job as an investigative journalist.

    “When I left Israel I had no reason to believe our planned trip would suddenly turn into a spy movie whose end is not clear,” he wrote. “I certainly didn’t think I’d have to stay in London and wouldn’t be able to return to Tel Aviv as a journalist and a free man, only because I published reports that were inconvenient to the establishment.”

    Mr Blau said he decided to stay abroad after hearing that his Tel Aviv apartment had been broken into, and being informed that his telephone and e mails were being monitored. “Experiences I had read about in suspense novels have become my reality in recent months,” he said. “When you’re warned “they know much more than you think,” and are told that your telephone line, e-mail and computer have been monitored for a long time and still are, then someone up there doesn’t really understand what democracy is all about, and the importance of freedom of the press in preserving it.”

    The reporter received the classified documents from Anat Kam, who served at the army’s Central Command headquarters, and who has been under house arrest since December.

    Talks between Mr Blau and Israeli intelligence, whereby he would hand over all the documents in his procession, broke down last week. Each side has accused the other of reneging on the terms of the agreement.

    Mr Blau is now wanted for questioning by both the Israeli police and the security services.

    Yuval Diskin , head of the Shin Bet security agency , warned that “the kid gloves will now be taken off” as the intelligence community steps up its efforts to retrieve the sensitive information.

    The stolen documents include details of Israeli troop deployments and contingency plans for emergencies. Israeli media reported that the operational plans for Israel’s invasion of Gaza last winter were altered because the original blueprint was amongst the top secret information transferred to Blau.

    Miss Kam, who goes on trial next week ,will be charged with espionage, an offense which carries a maximum life sentence. Nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu , who was tried on similar charges , served 18 years in prison.

    The Telegraph

  • Muslim outrage as Army uses ‘mosques’ on firing range

    Muslim outrage as Army uses ‘mosques’ on firing range

    The Ministry of Defence apologised yesterday after a Muslim group complained that structures used on an Army firing range resembled mosques.

    Bradford Council for Mosques said the structures at Bellerby firing range at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire should be taken down immediately.

    The Army said it was vital soldiers trained in an environment which replicated where they were deployed.

    A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said the structures were ”generic Eastern buildings” and were not used as target practice.

    The spokesman added: ”We apologise for any offence that we may have caused. It was never our intention for these generic structures to look like or replicate mosques, only to provide a setting similar to operational environments in which our personnel could train.

    ”We are seeking a meeting with representatives from the Muslim community to hear their concerns in order to discuss the way forward.”

    Mohammed Saleem Khan, chief executive of the Bradford Council for Mosques, said the shape and colour of the structures – a green dome – symbolised an Islamic place of worship.

    ”It is so obvious. Even a non-Muslim recognised the significance. The first person who raised the issue with us was a non-Muslim,” he said.

    ”We are trying to achieve unity and cohesion and encourage British Muslims to participate in the Army and we accommodate visits from the Army.

    ”It is clearly very offensive. We feel there should be an apology and they should be removed straight away. If it was a mistake it should be removed straight away.”

    The Telegraph

  • Turkey and Greece hope better ties lower defense costs

    Turkey and Greece hope better ties lower defense costs

    By SELCAN HACAOGLU

    ANKARA, Turkey

    Turkey and Greece on Thursday announced a series of measures to build confidence between the rival neighbors, including joint military training designed in part to ease years of tension over airspace and sea boundaries and a local arms race.

    Turkey’s Foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the new moves ultimately could help limit arms spending.

    As well, 10 key ministers, including those in charge of foreign and European Union affairs as well as energy and economy would meet at least twice a year, Davutoglu and Greece’s Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas announced.

    The ministers said their armies would increase cooperation through joint training and conferences. The move is designed to encourage Turkish and Greek officers, who have for decades regarded each other as potential enemies, to work with each other.

    The countries have been at odds for years over flight procedures over the Aegean Sea border. For decades, their warplanes have often engaged in mock dogfights.

    “The measures will boost confidence between the two peoples and armies,” Droutsas told a joint news conference with Davutoglu.

    Greece is suffering from a severe economic crisis and plans to cut defense spending in 2011 and 2012. Responding to a question over whether Turkey would follow Greece’s lead, Davutoglu said that there would be no need for arms spending if the neighbors could build a “common future.”

    “We have a vision and it is not based on mutual threat but on mutual interests,” Davutoglu said. “If we manage to build a common future, there will be no need for defense spending.”

    Davutoglu pointed out that his government has already reduced military spending, saying the government has spent more on education than arms in recent years.

    EU-member Greece supports Turkey’s membership bid in the European Union, hoping that it will help solve territorial issues. The largest snag is the divided island of Cyprus where Turkey keeps about 40,000 troops.

    Turkey began EU membership talks in 2005, but negotiations on some policy have been frozen over Turkey’s refusal to allow ships and planes from Cyprus to enter its ports and airspace, and the EU says Ankara must open its airspace to the EU member if it wants to get closer to membership itself.

    In return, Turkey insists on the lifting of what it says is the unofficial trade embargo on the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in the north of the island, which was divided into a Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north following Turkey’s 1974 invasion.

    Businessweek

  • Turkish PM Erdogan says Israel is ‘threat to peace’

    Turkish PM Erdogan says Israel is ‘threat to peace’

    Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Elycee Palace in Paris 7 April 2010
    Erdogan’s comments will further deepen mistrust

    Turkey’s Prime Minister has described Israel as the “main threat to peace” in the Middle East.

    Recep Tayyip Erdogan was speaking during a visit to Paris.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded saying he regretted Turkey’s “repeated attacks” on Israel.

    Relations between the two countries have been worsening since the Israeli incursion into the Gaza Strip in 2009, made worse by a recent diplomatic row.

    Mr Erdogan was speaking to journalists before meeting the French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

    “It is Israel that is the main threat to regional peace,” he said.

    “If a country uses disproportionate force, in Palestine, in Gaza, uses phosphorus bombs we are not going to say ‘well done.’”

    Both Israel and Hamas, which control the Gaza Strip, have been accused by the UN of war crimes during the 22-day offensive in December 2008 and January 2009.

    Humiliation

    Mr Netanyahu said he regretted the Turkish prime minister’s comments.

    Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon meeting Turkish Ambassador Ahmet Oguz Celikkol, captioned "the height of humiliation" in Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom [Image: Lior Mizrahi/Israel Hayom]
    The Turkish envoy was made to sit lower than the Israeli deputy minister

    “We are interested in good relations with Turkey and regret that Mr Erdogan chooses time after time to attack Israel,” he told reporters in Israel.

    The countries have been allies in the past.

    But earlier this week, the Turkish ambassador to Israel was recalled by Ankara, weeks after being humiliated in public by the Israeli deputy foreign minister.

    Ambassador Oguz Celikkol was called into the Israeli foreign ministry in January and rebuked over a Turkish television series that showed Israeli intelligence agents kidnapping children.

    Mr Celikkol was made to sit on a low chair while being lectured by Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon.

    Mr Ayalon later apologised for the rebuke.

    Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has compared Mr Erdogan to Presidents Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Libya’s leader Muammar Gaddafi.

    BBC

  • Dissident Iranians take refuge in Turkey

    Dissident Iranians take refuge in Turkey

    By SCHEHEREZADE FARAMARZI (AP) – 1 day ago

    NIGDE, Turkey — Light snow was falling when the two young men set out on horseback for the border to flee Iran. By the time they were deep in the mountains, it had become a blinding blizzard, the temperature had dropped below freezing, and they were barely alive.

    Iranians

     Hesam Misaghi and Sepehr Atefi were joining what has become an exodus of dissidents fleeing Iran’s political turmoil. For them that meant a harrowing journey through the country’s rugged northwest in the dead of winter, with the help of Kurdish smugglers.

     At a river crossing, the ice broke beneath them and their horses stumbled in, soaking the two with freezing water.

     “There was no feeling in my legs and hands,” recalled Misaghi, a tall, wiry 21-year-old. “I felt drunk. I didn’t know where I was. I was laughing from pain.”

     Atefi, 20, spotted a van from a distance, grabbed Misaghi’s arm and dragged him toward it through the snow. “There was no life left in me to move forward, but we had to reach the highway,” he said.

     The men, both Iranian human rights reporters, reached the van, begged a ride and made it to safety in Turkey.

     At least 4,200 Iranians have fled their homeland since disputed presidential elections in June, according to a list compiled by activist Aida Saadat, who herself slipped across the border into Turkey in December. These refugees have scattered to the United States, Europe and Gulf nations like the United Arab Emirates.

     Most of all, they have come to Turkey — around 1,150 of them, according to the U.N. refugee agency — taking advantage of the porous border and Turkey’s policy of not requiring a visa. Most of the new arrivals fled for political reasons, including those who took part in opposition protests after the vote. They bring the number of Iranians in Turkey to 4,440, as of February — including “undesirables” in the eyes of the clerical regime, such as homosexuals or members of the Bahai religion.

     The danger these Iranians face back home is clear. A month after Atefi and Misaghi’s January escape, police raided their homes in the central Iranian city of Isfahan. Among the charges against them: “moharebeh,” or “waging war against God,” a crime punishable by death.

     Police arrested their friend and colleague, Navid Khanjani, who was supposed to have fled with them but changed his mind at the last minute. With Khanjani’s arrest, eight people in the independent Committee of Human Rights Reporters have been jailed, and three remain in prison and could face execution.

     In Turkey, the refugees are safer, but they live in limbo. Almost all brought little money and cannot work because of Turkish restrictions, so they cram into small, coal-heated apartments with minimal furniture.

     Many Iranian refugees hope the UNHCR will arrange resettlement for them in the United States or Europe — a wait that could take years, as the refugee agency is also dealing with thousands of Iraqis who have fled here from their own wartorn homeland in recent years.

     Many of the Iranians have been put in the central town of Kayseri and nearby towns such as Nigde. Like other refugees in Turkey, they are required to live in particular towns designated by the Interior Ministry, must regularly report to police to confirm their location, and must get permission from authorities to move to other cities.

     In addition to the rent and other expenses, each adult is required to pay the Turkish government about $200, along with $100 for each child, every six months to stay in the country. The interior minister last weekend (in March) signed an order to to lift the permit fees, but the order has not yet been enforced.

     In the meantime, they watch the events back home — where hundreds have been arrested, and two have been executed out of 11 sentenced to death for taking part in opposition protests. From exile, some try to continue their activism — and some try to recover from their trauma.

     Political activist Mahdis, 35, who once worked for a dissident cleric in the holy city of Qom, said she fled Iran more than a year ago after having been repeatedly raped in jail. Mahdis spoke on condition her last name not be used to avoid public embarassment.

     When she arrived in Turkey she was again raped, this time by a fellow Iranian refugee. She said police would not allow her to transfer to Kayseri unless she paid $200, which she didn’t have.

     “I was sobbing, saying ‘I swear to God’ I don’t have the money,” recalled Mahdis. It took her 40 days to come up with the money that she borrowed from fellow refugees.

     Another refugee, Mehrdad Eshghi, was the official singer for the state-run Iranian TV and Radio, known as Seda va Sima. Then authorities questioned his loyalty because he worked in the election campaign of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s top rival, Mir Hossein Mousavi.

     After he refused to perform for Ahmadinejad’s campaign, security forces began harassing him. He was detained and threatened with worse consequences.

     “I was surprised by the way they treated me,” said Eshghi, 40. “I was one of them. When I had the mike in my hand doing live programs, it meant they trusted me with their lives,” he said in his apartment in Kayseri.

     After security men began staking out his home around the clock, Eshghi went into hiding. He took a bus to Turkey six months ago, and his wife and daughter joined him a couple of months later.

     “They could have done something terrible to me. You never know,” Eshghi said of his pursuers. “The survival of the Islamic Republic is so important to them that they will not give up at any price.”

     Eshghi, a singer, calligrapher, painter and composer, mourns his former life in his homeland.

     “I was at my best in Iran,” he said. “Here, I’m just an ordinary person.”

     Like others, he said his attempts to keep up political activism from exile are prevented by Turkish authorities. Eshghi said authorities refused to allow him to put on an exhibition of his paintings or a concert for Iranian refugees. “They tell me no one must know of my whereabouts because it poses danger to my life.”

     Turkey, though a U.S. ally, also has close ties to Iran. Ankara has criticized Western efforts to impose further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. Iran is a major supplier of natural gas to Turkey, and the two sides are working to increase trade, valued at $10 billion last year.

     Kayseri’s police chief said any restrictions on Iranians are for their own protection. “They are free here,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of police regulations. “But for their own personal safety, they cannot be interviewed by reporters.”

     Some refugees claim they have been harassed by Iranian intelligence agents while in Turkey, with threatening phone calls or even physical attacks. Human rights officials say Iranian intelligence agents have infiltrated the refugee community here, leading to widespread suspicion.

     Hami Taghavi, a 40-year-old university professor who fled shortly after the post-election crackdown began, said he and his family try to avoid other Iranians.

     “We don’t trust other Iranians. We made sure to find an apartment where there are no Iranians around,” he said.

     Now he is just hoping to find rest, after repeated detentions in Iran for anti-government activities, including regular appearances on the Persian language stations of the BBC and Voice of America. He said he was tortured in custody, and now has trouble controlling movements in his limbs.

     “I wake up regularly during the night as if someone is kicking me in the stomach,” said Taghavi, who also headed an independent opposition teachers’ association in Iran.

     His wife, Mehrvash Dadashian, 35, ran a popular blog in Iran, since shut down. She intends to start a new one — but her main concern now is their life in Turkey, including the question of whether her 6-year-old daughter Yasna will be able to enter school in September.

     “I live in the present. I don’t brood over the past, nor am I worried about the future,” she said. “It’s peaceful here … we used to have near heart attack 20 times a day in Iran, every time they came to our door to take us away.”

     Despite the obstacles, reform activist Saadat says she is determined to keep up her political work, campaigning for Iranian women’s rights and writing for the Committee of Human Rights Reporters.

     “I am not an immigrant. I’ve come here to continue my work,” said Saadat.

     After months of repression, Iran’s reform activists are all in hiding, in jail or in exile, she said.

     “When we leave our country, we leave behind all our past, our love, memories, the sum of our lives.”

    The Associated Press