Well, your headline is putting it in a bit too simple, Wilderesque terms, which are not entirely correct.
While I strongly disagree with her and don't see "Multikulti" having failed in its entirety, I cannot help but defend her against claims that she says no to muslims in general.
Then again, when I read that she said who doesn't embrace the Christian values has no place in Germany, I thought "Oh shit, I have to leave the country!" It made me wonder which Christian values to embrace exactly.
Maybe a priest could help me with that question, but I have a feeling I don't really belong to his target group anymore.
As many other European countries, Germany also has problems with some of its immigrants. Mostly those living here in third generation, who are structurally disadvantaged and are neither fully accepted here nor in their home countries. We also have poor immigration sometimes from the first generation on, when people never learned the language and still live the way they left their original home countries (a point Gul raised as well). I felt bad when at the recent soccer match Germany - Turkey Turkish fans in the stadium booed at Mesut Özil every time he was in possession of the ball, because three years ago he decided to play for Germany instead of Turkey. That's a very poor showing by them.
But those problems are grounded in fundamental mistakes that have been made back in the 1960s when the first guest workers from Italy, Greece and Turkey started to come, by invitation, to Germany. The government always saw them as extra working force for those jobs the Germans wouldn't do, as in those days we had virtual full employment and thus people could choose where they would want to work. First, we brought them here but never provided for them going back if times get rough, thinking the economy would always be as strong as it was back then. It shouldn't surprise anyone that when the economy faltered in the 1970s, there was little intention by the Turkish immigrants to go back into the impoverished towns where they grew up, for economical reasons, but also because their families back in Turkey depended on the monthly checque. Second, when those guest workers came here, the government allotted them homes in the main cities, such as Berlin, but didn't allow them to move and settle freely within the cities. That is why we now have city districts where the majority of people is with Turkish or Arabic background and Germans are the minority.
We failed to establish any real form of immigration infrastructure until sometime in the 1990s, and even then what was done was only very poor and chronically underfunded.
This is not to say that the immigrants who refused to learn the language, refused to look for good education for their children and refused to integrate into the society they chose as their new homes, and it most definitely doesn't excuse any small kid to call me an asshole for being a German, or brothers killing their sisters for having a German boyfriend.
But it shows that we are facing a very complex situation, where a simple "Mulitkulti has failed" is not going to cut it.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
I think realistically speaking, sometimes that is easier said than done, even when people have the best intentions to integrate into their new communities.
How many of us posting here speak multiple languages completely fluently and can really appreciate the difficulties and cultural shocks of emigration?
I guess I'm a bit more laissez-faire on this issue.
are you saying we should feed the Christians to the lions?
I think realistically speaking, sometimes that is easier said than done, even when people have the best intentions to integrate into their new communities.
How many of us posting here speak multiple languages completely fluently and can really appreciate the difficulties and cultural shocks of emigration?
I guess I'm a bit more laissez-faire on this issue.
maybe he's still bitter over being rejected by laura winslow.
My flatmate, who is Russian, now teaches German at an institution where young immigrants go who have trouble in school and are behind in learning. They can speak some German, if they really want even more than what they usually are willing to, but most lack even the most basic grammar. Often enough, willingly so. Those usually are third generation immigrants who are confused with their cultural identities. The Germans say "You are Turkish", and the Turkish say "You are German". And they are somewhere in between, with hardly any future prospects and living in a country, and a society, they haven't chosen for themselves and which doesn't seem too welcoming.
It's a vicious circle for them, and they have often times given up hope for their situation to improve.
Working with refugees and torture victims etc. adds whole different dimensions to the problem, where people are illiterate and unable to learn either the language nor how to write, even after years in special programs offered.
Living in a foreign country yet choosing to only hang out with people from your own culture and/or background, closes the doors to many other things.
Arabic is much more difficult to translate to english. Than spanish. It is the same for folks who come from India, Russia. Germany, China and etc.
What bothers me is that in my neighbohood. There are families who have been here for several years, their version of spanish speaking (Mexican slang). Most of us who have taken several courses in "proper spanish" have no idea what they are saying. Are still refusing to speak to any of their english speaking neighbors. They are chosing to isolate them selves until the rest of us. Bend to their ways. This isn't helpful to their children who attend english speaking schools.
I work as an English tutor at a local college and deal with immigrant students all the time. I've noticed the Russian, Chinese and Arab students have more difficulty with English than someone who speaks Spanish or such.
When I worked in retail during my college days, I dealt with a lot of Spanish speaking immigrants. Some would try English, and when they did, I helped with whatever Spanish I knew. But there were a lot who didn't bother to try English and were quite rude. It was like I was the problem, and not them.
It makes me wonder what would happen if I were an immigrant to their country. If I walked up to someone and start speaking English rather than Spanish, wouldn't they get upset too?
As I said, when in Rome...
we have the same problems here in Belgium. Immigration has failed big time. ....