At the police station II.

Second time in a month or so that I am called to the police station to report a hate crime.

The first time the officer taking my report tells me that basically Islamophobia is not that much of a big deal.

The second time (today), another officer is of the opinion that if I had not tweeted about 'controversial' topics such as extremism and racism, I would not have attracted the attention of the Islamophobic numbhead to consequently floods me with his racist filth (so in a nutshell, the crime is the victim's fault). When I ask him if his statement is not the same as asking a woman who was sexually harassed if she really had to wear that miniskirt, he gets upset and says, 'he is offended'.

Second time I am at the police station to report a racist / Islamophobic incident, second time I don't feel that those police officers are ... what they should be, professional, sensitised, on the side of the victim.

Second time in a month that I complain and that my complaint is dealt with in the most professional manner and that the duty inspector is as shocked about the comments made as I was when I realised what was being said to me.

Don't accept poor treatment. Don't give up. Keep on complaining, keep on protesting. You might think it's not a big deal or that it's not going to change anything anyway, but if we continue to swallow whatever we are being served, nothing is ever going to change. Ever.

At the police station.

Or: Explaining hate crime to those 

who are here to combat it.

When you call on the phone to report racist stickers that you have seen in the city centre, everyone is very friendly. "I will forward this to my colleagues, Ma'am, can you come to the station to give a statement, Ma'am, thank you very much for calling, Ma'am."

When you arrive at the police station at 9 o'clock, a woman takes your statement. Blond hair, fair skin, middle-aged. It's you and her, in a stuffy room with no windows.

Police officer, blond, middle-aged: "So you felt that the stickers were offensive?"

(Relatively) young white hijabi: "I didn't just find them offensive, I found them highly offensive, and to be honest, I also got a bit scared when I saw them, for myself and my family. [insert bit about particular family background and ways in which this relates to the stickers] I have always felt safe in [this city here], but it changed (a bit) when I saw these stickers."

Police officer, blond, middle-aged: "But crime and violence, this something that happens everywhere, isn't it, it's a global problem?"

(Relatively) young white hijabi: "Well, yes, but these stickers are used by right-wing extremists to mark their territory and to spread fear. This is part of their strategy, it's part of their campaign. They send a message to people like me, to Muslims, to refugees, migrants, brown people."

Police officer, blond, middle-aged: "But this could happen to anyone..."

(Relatively) young white hijabi: "Erm, no. This is a hate crime. They specifically target one group of people. And sorry, but you, as a blonde, white, British woman won't be targeted by them. I wouldn't if it weren't for my headscarf. But me, the way I look, with this [points to her scarf], I am one of their targets."

Police officer, blond, middle-aged: "But if that was true, they could just put a bomb in a mosque - they don't do that."

(Relatively) young white hijabi: "Erm, yes, of course they do. [insert short excursus about recent attacks on mosques in the UK in general and [the region we live in] in particular, with particular mention of the Muslim grandfather who has just gotten assassinated - for being Muslim - a few days ago] ... "I can't really believe I need to tell you this. They are targeting Muslims, refugees, brown people, and everyone who, to them, looks like that."

Police officer, blond, middle-aged: "But you have that everywhere ... in Paris they just attacked people who were in the street"

(Relatively) young white hijabi: [insert a sentence about how that was a case of Islamist extremism ... which is different from right-wing extremism ... which is what I am talking about at the moment] "No. No, sorry, this is not right. I'm not going to continue like this. I am not going to speak to you any more. I want to speak to someone else. And I want to complain about this. Now."

When you go to the police station to report racist stickers you have seen in the city centre, you might come across a police officer who seems to have less knowledge about hate crime, Islamophobia and violent extremism than you do. Who shows a complete lack of sensitivity while dealing with a victim of a hate crime. Who is playing down an issue she is clearly not facing herself.

But you can complain. And (relatively) young white hijabi did. To the duty inspector and, after that, to the two female police officers assigned to take her statement. Two officers it was this time, both (relatively) young, one blond + white, the other brown + Muslim. Who agreed that this was outrageous, took the statement, chatted about this and that, were friendly, laughed, made little jokes, explained what was going to happen now.

When you go to the police station to report racist stickers you have seen in the city centre, this is the sort of police officers you should have welcome you. Not people you need to explain to that the crime that you are here to report is actually a problem.

"No space for women"

What do you do if in a mosque there is "no space" for women? Faraz Rabbani advised the following. Says a lot about us as a community that we have gotten so much used to nonsense ("sorry, no women allowed; there's just no space, what can we do"), that we're close to be shocked when we hear such a simple, common sense answer (by a highly qualified, highly regarded sheikh, after all).

In my memory

When a song was written for Northern Ireland, but works perfectly for Sarajevo, Beirut, Aleppo or Homs, too. It's the same pain, always.

"But when I returned how my eyes have burned 

To see how a town could be brought to its knees

By the armoured cars and the bombed out bars

And the gas that hangs on to every tree

Now the army's installed by that old gasyard wall

And the damned barbed wire gets higher and higher

With their tanks and their guns, oh my God, what have they done

To the town I loved so well"

When life hands you lemons...

Or: How I was chosen for a "random" security check, and ended up giving an impromptu live hijab tutorial

Sunday morning, at the airport. I forget to take off my watch, the metal detector goes off.

I think, 'they'll quickly check with the portable metal detector'. No, they want to search me in a separate room.

Ok, whatever. It's me and two female security officers who close the curtain behind them.

I think, 'they'll quickly pat me down and I can go'. No. Not that easy, not that quickly.

It's them, and me.

Female security officer (FSO) 1: 'Can you please take your scarf off, madam?'

Me [with a strong expression of WTH on my face, raised eyebrows and all]: 'Take MY SCARF OFF?'

FSO 1: 'Yes.'

FSO 2 [smiles, looking slightly embarrassed]

Me: 'Okkkk...'

I take off my scarf. FSO 1 pats me down from head to toe, doesn't forget to check my socks (because THAT'S where we Muslimist terrorist extremists hide our bombs, you know), a few minutes later she says I can put back my scarf on.

I reach for it. There is silence. And I think, 'You know what...'

Me: 'Well, at least you'll get to see now how I wear my scarf...'

FSO 1 and FSO 2 both look at me.

I force a smile.

Me: 'Yes, because there is different ways of tying it. I usually do it likes this...'

FSO 2 [looks at me pointing on my scarf, nods hesitantly]

Me: 'So first I put the scarf here. On top of this [I point on the undercap]. I always wear one of these underneath. Otherwise it can be really annoying when the scarf doesn't stay in place but keeps moving around. You know, that's just REALLY annoying. One time around and then a pin here...'

FSO 1 and 2 both follow my movements and nod in agreement.

FSO 1: ' And do you wear it in the summer, too?'

Me: [little excursus about light fabric, long sleeves, and breezy maxi dresses]

Both nod again and touch the fabric of my shirt when I hold it towards them.

FSO 1: 'Do you have scarves in many different colours?'

Me [laugh]: 'Oh yes, I do. But my favourite is pink!'

FSO 1: 'Pink is great!'

Me: 'Pink is the best!!'

We all laugh.

FSO 1: And makeup is not allowed?

Me: [short explanation about my personal preference (no makeup), scholarly opinions (divided), and individual choices (it depends)] ... 'and then there is those who believe it is not allowed but they do it anyway. But that, you have it in all religions, don't you, you have Christians, too, who do that...?'

They both nod enthusiastically and murmur in agreement.

FSO 2: 'And now this pin?'

Me: 'No, that one comes all the way in the end. Look, here. I'll use this one first, here, and then that one. See, now it is all in place.'

I look at myself in the mirror and see both of them turning towards my reflection in the glass.

Me: 'I just need to pull at little here, and there, and then ... that's it, done!'

Smiles all around, and I leave, pick up my baggage and look for my gate.

Wenn Muslime Christen in Pakistan schützen

"Habt Acht! Wer grausam und harsch gegenüber einer nicht-muslimischen Minderheit ist, ihre Rechte beschneidet, ihnen zu viel aufbürdet oder von ihnen stiehlt - ich [Muhammad] werde mich über diese Person [bei Gott] am Tage des Gerichts beschweren." [Hadith nach Abu Dawud]

Wir hören meistens nur die negativen Beispiele. Von Diskriminierung, Unterdrückung und Gewalt. Aber es gibt, immer, auch die andere Seite. Ganz unspektakulär das Zusammenleben im Alltag oder Aktionen, die aus dem Gleichgleich des Jedentags herausstechen. Christen in Pakistan sind vor allem eins - Pakistanis. Ihre Religion mögen sie nicht mit dem Großteil der Pakistanis, die Muslime sind, teilen, aber kulturell sind sie nichts anderes. Pakistanis. Umso schöner eine solche Geste, die (auch wenn von 2013, also nicht mehr ganz aktuell) genau das unterstreicht: Unsere Gemeinsamkeiten sind so viel größer als das, was uns trennt. Auch wenn ihr anders seid, stehen wir an eurer Seite und verteidigen auch eure Rechte. Davon bitte mehr, nicht nur in Pakistan! Hier geht's zum Link.

Convert Conversations I

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Culturally German, religiously a Muslim. 

Or: Too much biryani.

Bismillah

In the beginning it was exciting

If I am being perfectly honest, in the beginning it was exciting. This new religion came not only with a testimony of faith, principles of belief, acts of worship and the building of a relation with God, but with a whole new, and at times exotic, culture. Cultures, I mean. There was Eritrean hospitality, Moroccon tea, Algerian music, Pakistani food, Turkish fashion, Bosnian sweets, Central Asian architecture. Learning how to be a Muslim, I also learned loads about the many cultures that Islam left its footprint on in one way or another, cultures that are hard to think of without the enormous influence the religion of Islam had on them. 

Turkish lentil soup, Arabic hiphop, South Asian tea

Now, more than ten, almost fifteen years later, I can make a mean Turkish lentil soup; know how to do small talk in Bosnian, Turkish and Arabic; could give a 30 minutes presentation about Arabic hiphop and a 60 minutes presentation about the role of the diaspora in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I can tell a Moroccon hijabi from a Saudi, Pakistani, British-Pakistani, Turkish, Syrian or Malaysian one - from a 100 metres! (when I wear my glasses) - and I would happily explain to you the difference between aloo paneer, palak paneer and aloo keema ... if you asked. I can say the traditional Islamic greeting salam alaikum (may Peace be with you) the way it is pronounced in Turkey, Arabic countries and the Sub-continent. I prefer Fairouz over Umm Kulthum and Moroccon green tea with mint over South Asian red tea with milk; haggle like a pro (I am known to have made a taxi driver in Jericho complain, "she's worse than the locals!"); and it does not seem odd to me (any more) to keep on asking "how are you?", even after the person in question has already replied (twice).

Muslim habits, norms and values

With Islam, I got to know a long list of different countries, cultures, mentalities, lifestyles. Cultures which differ in many ways but which have in common that Islam is one of their main cultural reference points (not the only one, of course, after all, we don't want to fall into essentialist narratives of how all Muslims are the same, do we?). I have gotten to know many aspects of these cultures, I have gotten to love some of them, and many have become a part of me. I have not just become a Muslim but I also adopted quite a few habits, norms and values that are often regarded as essentially linked to Islam while in reality they are rooted in one of the many cultures, societies or communities which happen to be majority Muslim.

Culture and religion

Culture and religion are closely intertwined. That is not just an Islamic phenomenon but something that can be observed in all cultures and religions worldwide. Sometimes this intertwinement is pretty obvious, at times it happens more subtly and you need to look closely to spot it. Sometimes it is problematic, sometimes absolutely fine, or perhaps even of advantage - for example, when it brings out the best in a community of believers. Intertwinement can mean similarity, overlapping, contradiction; it is not positive or negative per se. In practise, the intertwinement of religion and culture means that it is often hard to tell where culture starts and religion ends.

"If you want to be a true believer..."

At first, I did not mind that too much. At first, it was exciting. And at first, I also lacked the knowledge to tell the difference between cultural practises and religious principles. Wrapped in mashaallah, alhamdulillah, bismillah, many things that were not Islamic in their own right (but, for example, Arabic or Turkish) or even not Islamic at all (as they contradicted the very basics of this religion) looked like they were the way to go - if you wanted to be a true believer. "Oh, you don't like abayahs? But that's what proper hijab looks like!" - "What do you mean, you are not happy to sit in the back? But you are a woman! We can't allow free mixing in our Islamic classes!" - "No, no, no, don't ask the speaker your question directly, let one of the brothers pass your question on!" - "Male friends? Astaghfirullah!!??" - "Western music? Filth! I only listen to Nancy Ajram..." - "No, I don't think we should start yet; yes, we are already 45 minutes behind schedule, but what if anyone is still on the way? Isn't it our duty to wait for our brothers and sisters in Islam who came here with the intention of listening to an Islamic talk and not prevent them from gaining knowledge? Gaining knowledge is so important in Islam!" - Ok, sorry, I might have gotten a bit carried away. Where was I?

Ten, almost fifteen, years later...

Ten, almost fifteen years, later, the initial excitement has slowly worn off. Not completely, I still owe a lot to all the Muslims (and their respective cultures) that I have met on this journey in the last years, I love many things I have learned from them, things that have become part of me. But I have become a bit older, a bit (tiny bit!) more knowledgeable, a bit more confident and, sorry!, less accepting of nonsense. I have realised in the last years that people have been trying to sell me something as Islamic which is not. And I'm tired of it. I don't need to wear a Saudi abayah to be a Muslim; I don't need to have the same views on gender relations as many South Asian Muslims, for example, do; my Norah Jones is not less Islamic than your Nancy Ajram; and if you serve samosas and dates to non-Muslim visitors at an event organised by the local mosque that's not "typically Muslim food". Your culture is not representative of Islam. 

Losing out of sight how diverse our Muslim community is

Alhamdulillah for biryani, but do we really need to serve it at every event organised by our Islamic Student Societies? At every single event? If all members of said society are desi (see, how I have learned my cool cultural terms), that's, of course, absolutely fine. There is nothing wrong with biryani. This is not about biryani. This is about a majority acting as if the minority did not exist. This is about losing out of sight how diverse our Muslim community is. If all members of a mosque or student society or what-not are not Arabic but they keep on serving Arabic food, in my mind, there is something wrong. And I am not saying that this is being done on purpose, that the biryani fraction of my community have bad intentions or that they are to blame. If you are in the majority it is very easy to forget how those in the minority feel. I am not blaming you for that. But please, try to be a bit open-minded and don't start rolling your eyes and saying, "but it's Eid", when I suggest to order pizza instead of kebabs. 

An Islamic community in Germany

Last year, I spent Ramadan in Germany. My mosque there is very multicultural. The majority of the visitors are German-Moroccons, but  the mosque is also attended by German Muslims with a German background (like me) and by those whose families once came from Turkey, Syria, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bosnia, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Southeast Asia, Poland, Slovakia, the US (many of whom have also become pretty German in the meantime). The only language we have in common is German so pretty much all activities are in German. In fact, a comparatively high number of young Muslims attend this mosque as they feel more at ease in a German-speaking (as opposed to Turkish- or Arabic-speaking etc.) environment. Here, they understand the language. And know how things are being done. 

German pasta salad for iftar

During Ramadan, free food is provided in the mosque every evening. Most of the time, it was Moroccon food. But that was fine. If 70% of your visitors are Moroccon, there is nothing wrong with serving Moroccon food 70% of the time. If, however, you serve Moroccon food only, I would say, there is a problem. At my mosque, they didn't do that. It was Moroccon food most of the time, with the odd Afghani or Pakistani meal inbetween. One day they made German pasta salad. German pasta salad. With mayonaise, cornichons, sweetcorn - exactly as we would do it at home. I was in food heaven, but I also realised this was the first time in over ten years of being a Muslim that I was eating European food in a European mosque.

It is easy to forget to look outside the box

As I explained above, in many cases, the majority of culturally (pretty) Turkish, Arabic or South Asian Muslims in Europe don't even realise how it can be for a German Muslim, for example, if Islam is made look, taste and feel foreign most of the time. They feel at ease, they know things to be that way, they expect things to be that way, so for most of them the thought that this might not be the same for those with a different cultural background does not even cross their minds. Again, I don't really want to blame them for it. I know myself how easy it is to see yourself only, to assume your preferences to be the norm, to forget to look outside of the box. I do it. You do it. We all do it. And as long as it happens unconsciously, unintendedly, I don't really want to blame anyone.

Muslims full of hared of "the West"

But there is something else, too. There are those who just don't question the predominance of Arabic / Turkish / South Asian / you name it! cultural practises in Islamic organisations and mosques in Europe - but who would, if you told them, agree that, yes, perhaps, one day we can have spaghetti napoli in the mosque for iftar and hmmm, why not get some potato salad, too?! And then there are those who are full of hatred of "the West" which they see as an antidote to "Islam". "Look at the West and how they treat their old people, sending them to care homes instead of looking after them, what a shame!" - "Look at how morally corrupted the West is!" - "You want to wear Western clothes?! Astaghfirullah, that would be imitating the kuffar!" 

I am not imitating "the kuffar" or "the West". I am of one them

I am sorry, I am not imitating "the kuffar" or "the West". I am of one them. Culturally, I am one of them; religiously, I am a Muslim. And before you start screaming now, "Oh my God, she declared herself an unbeliever" - I haven't. Not everything in Europe contradicts Islam. There are loads of cultural aspects that you can perfectly reconcile with Islam. In fact, some aspects of European cultures are even more Islamic than much that is found in many "Eastern" societies (talk about punctuality, bindingness of appointments or lower levels of corruption ... that is if you stay North of the Alps... :P ). 

Like the first Muslims back in the Prophet's time

By holding on to my German identity, I am really not doing anything different than the first Muslims back in the Prophet's time did. They were converts. And carried their (polytheistic) ancestors names, continued to eat their (type of) food and wearing their traditional clothes. They remained a part of society. What we consider essentially Islamic now (names such as Fatima, for example) used to be part of the culture of a polytheistic society. What did the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and his followers do? Did they start to scream, "don't imitate the unbelievers" and change their own ways completely? They didn't. They changed what needed changing and held on to what was acceptable to keep. Fatima stayed Fatima. She was not made change her name into a more "Islamically sounding" name when she converted. 

Islam is bigger than this, it is for everyone

And lastly, don't misunderstand me. I am not asking for big changes. I am not asking for German pasta salad everyday. Have your biryani. I'll share it with you. But don't pretend this was Islam. Don't make us, Muslims and non-Muslims, believe your Pakistani naans or Turkish pides were more appropriate to have in the mosque than my German rye bread. Islam is bigger than that. It is more than just biryani. Let's not belittle this grand religion, let's not veil the universal character it has. Islam is for everyone. Look outside your box, have some compassion and try to walk a bit in my shoes. Leave me some room and let me be who I am. That's all I'm asking for.

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The journey

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Californian diary, part 1

When my 100-year-old grandmother's uncle left for the US some time in the late 19th or early 20th century, it was the last time he saw his parents. Letters took weeks, if not months, visits were not really an option.

Today we hop on a plane (ok, one bus, one coach, two planes, and a car) ... and 24 hours later, instead of rainy England we're in sunny California.

Waiting to board the plane in London-Heathrow. A group of loud, bored, fat, white, inconsiderate teenagers walk by. Everything I hate about America. Oh no, we're going to the US... Boarding the plane. Blonde stewardess with red lipstick and a huge smile. Friendly welcome, a wink to Lieschen. She has the same accent as my American friend Mary. Who studied in four universities and speaks five languages. Everything I love about America. Yay, we're going to the US...!

On the plane. Indians to my left, Indians to my right. Germans in the row in front of us. French in the aisle. God-another-seven-hours-on-this-plane conversations with a drunk Scot who hates extremists but doesn't mind Muslims and an Englishman who lives in the States. Discussions about Scottish independence (yes or no), Germans in the UK (us) and Brits in the US (them), South Asian (me) and American (him) spouses. About kids. That grow up somewhere in between.

Landing. Queues. Security. Border agency guys who all have the same strange humour. PhD student from England, originally from Germany, exams coming up in May, right answers, passport stamped, you're in.

Relief. Not that there was any reason, but I'm worried every time. And think of those who didn't make it.

Nina was sent back. Housewife from Romania, going to join husband from Nigeria, no good enough reasons to go back, wrong answers, out.

And that's just us, who can afford a plane ticket, not one of the thousands who try to climb fences, outsmart guards, brave the desert sun...

Dallas. Texas. Yeehaw!

Tired. Late night here, early morning there. Yet another plane. Couple of more hours.

LA. Hello Golden State. Hello US.

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Event: Tackling exclusion in Muslim communities

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"Friday 21 Mar 2014, 18:45 - 20:30 

Abrar House, 45 Crawford Place, W1H 4LP 

Event Details:

It is common to observe that exclusion and discrimination occurs at every level of society, on grounds of race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, class, politics, age, and more. 

But how far are  British Muslims prepared to address exclusion within our communities and our institutions? Who is being excluded directly or indirectly, ignored and rendered invisible, their concerns unrecognised let alone addressed?

Are we prepared to go beyond our comfort zones to make our institutions more inclusive, welcoming, and reflective of how our communities are today? Join us for a frank discussion of these issues and how we as a faith community might go about tackling them."

Event details: here.

I will complain

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"Beware! Whoever is cruel and hard on a non-Muslim minority, curtails their rights, burdens them with more than they can bear, or takes anything from them against their free will; I will complain against the person on the Day of Judgment.”

Muhammad, Peace be upon him (Abu Dawud)

Das andere Iran

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Fotos aus dem Iran ähneln sich oft: Frauen in langen, schwarzen Gewändern; Männer in wuchernden Bärten; Kopftücher; Hinrichtungen; Massen an Menschen. Das ist das eine Iran. Aber natürlich gibt es auch das andere Iran. Leute, die in oft widrigen Umständen versuchen, ihr Leben so leben, wie es für richtig halten; sich ein kleines Stück Freiheit erkämpfen; Moment finden, in denen sie ganz sie selbst sein können. 

Solche Momente sind es, die der iranische Fotograf Hossen Fatemi in seiner Serie An other view of Iran festgehalten hat. Schöne Bilder sind es, die er zeigt; intensive Bilder; Bilder vom Leben ... die hoffen lassen, dass der Iran eines Tages frei sein wird.

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Integration? Kauf ich mir

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Oder: "Noch so einer" vs. "schön, dass du da bist"

Oder: Hasret und Enes

Hasret ist in ihren Vierzigern. Sie kam als Grundschulkind aus der Türkei, wo sie bei den Großeltern, Mama und Papa waren zum Arbeiten in Deutschland, gelebt hatte, nach Deutschland. Sie machte ihren Abschluss, arbeitete, erkämpfte sich das Medizinstudium, begann ihre Promotion. Heute ist sie Ärztin. Jetzt, wo sie beruflich Fuß gefasst hat, ist auch das Kopftuch nicht mehr so eine Barriere, zu dem es teilweise während ihrer Ausbildung und den ersten Berufsjahren von so manchem Chefarzt oder Uniprofessor gemacht wurde. Sie kann was, man will sie. Ihre Fachwissen und die Erfahrung im Beruf sind gefragt. Ihre Türkischkenntnisse sind ein Plus, die Kulturkenntnisse sowieso. 

Ihr Sohn Enes, so würden manche vielleicht sagen, lebt hier "in der dritten Generation". Als es Zeit für ihn war, in den Kindergarten zu kommen, meldete Hasret ihn im katholischen Kindergarten um die Ecke an. In Laufnähe, und dass den Kindern dort auch religiöse Werte vermittelt wurden, sagte ihr auch zu. Enes bekam den Platz. Alles war paletti, bis Hasrets Mutter den Kleinen zum ersten Mal in den neuen Kindergarten brachte. Sie wurde dort so herablassend, so forsch, so was-willst-du-Gastarbeiter-hier behandelt, dass Hasret sich weigerte, den Kleinen in der Einrichtung zu lassen. Jemandem, der ihre Mutter so behandelte, der solch ein Bild von Deutschtürken, von Muslimen hatte, ihren Sohn anvertrauen? Nein, danke.

Hasret hat das Geld, sie kann es sich leisten - und einige Monate später war Enes in einer Internationalen Schule in der Stadt angemeldet. Der Lehrplan orientiert sich an britischem Vorbild, die Kinder sind - wie auf der Insel - bis nachmittags in der Schule, Enes lernt neben Deutsch und Türkisch jetzt auch Englisch und er ist willkommen. Wäre er in eine der Schulen in dem Viertel, in dem Hasret und ihre Familie bis heute wohnen, einkommensschwach, bildungsfern, gastarbeiterig, gekommen - Enes wäre in einer Einrichtung gelandet, auf der er "noch so einer" gewesen wäre. Wie heißt du? Enes. Aha, schon klar. Und dann noch die Oma mit Kopftuch und türkischem Akzent. Jetzt ist Enes auf einer Schule, auf der man sich freut, dass er da ist, wo er dazu gehört, Teil des Ganzen und Multikulti wie alle anderen ist.Wo Vielfalt willkommen ist, wo Enes willkommen ist.

Hasret hat das Geld, sie kann es sich leisten.

Sexismus. Und Rassismus.

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Von afrodeutschen Frauen, alltäglichem Sexismus und Rassismus während des Nationalsozialismus - und im Deutschland des 21. Jahrhunderts, von Ausgrenzung, Widerstand, Anpassung und Rebellion.

"Ausstellung

Daima – Frauen | Bewegung | Feminismen | Identitäten

Mo 17. Februar bis Fr 28. März 2014 


Öffnungszeiten: Mo–Fr 14–18 Uhr

Belächelt und sexualisiert werden – diese Erfahrungen teilen viele Frauen. Was, wenn sich das mit Erfahrungen von Rassismus mischt? In der Veranstaltungsreihe kommen Frauen zu Wort, die all diese Erfahrungen von Ausgrenzung teilen und sich ihnen aktiv widersetzen: durch Kunst, Politik und Zeugnis-Ablegen. 

In Kooperation mit Witnessed / edition assemblage. Gefördert von der Senatsverwaltung für Arbeit, Integration und Frauen. Alle Veranstaltungen finden in der Galerie im August Bebel Institut statt (Müllerstraße 163, Berlin, S+U Wedding). Die Räumlichkeiten sind rollstuhlgerecht, Zugang über den Haupteingang des Gebäudes. 

Rahmenprogramm: 

Fr 14. Februar, 18–21 Uhr: Daima. Images of Women of Color in Germany

Ausstellungseröffnung und Buchvorstellung. In Ausstellung und Buch porträtiert die afrodeutsche Fotografin Nzitu Mawakha zwölf Schwarze Frauen, die in Deutschland leben und arbeiten und/oder Deutsche sind. Sie erzählen von Alltagsrassismus, Sexismus und Widerstand, von Familie, Community und Schönheit. Das Besondere: Nicht die Frauen erklären sich – sondern sie sind diejenigen, die die Betrachtenden befragen und den Blick zurückwerfen. Mit: Nzitu Mawakha (Fotografin & Autorin), Sharon Dodua Otoo (Herausgeberin der Reihe »Witnessed«) und Protagonistinnen von Buch und Ausstellung. Grußwort: Barbara Loth (Staatssekretärin in der Senatsverwaltung für Arbeit, Integration und Frauen, angefragt). Live-Musik: 3 Women & The Bass. Um Anmeldung bis 10. Februar wird gebeten. 

Do 20. Februar, 18–20 Uhr: Einschreibungen. Fotografie und Widerstand 

Fotografie blickt auf eine lange politische Geschichte zurück. Welche Möglichkeiten bietet sie im politischen Kampf und um Identitäten auszudrücken? Der Vortrag zeigt zunächst, wie Fotografie mitwirkte, Unterschiede herzustellen und zu zementieren – in Bezug auf Ethnizität, Geschlecht oder Sexualität. In Kontrast dazu werden fotografische Arbeiten wie die des afroamerikanischen Philosophen W.E.B. Dubois, der Schwarzen Südafrikanerin Zanele Muholi und des Afrodeutschen Philip Metz vorgestellt. Sie wollen Fremdzuschreibungen brechen, Blicke irritieren und eine eigene Bildsprache entwickeln. Geht das? Mit: Nana Adusei-Poku (Forschungsprofessorin für Kulturelle Vielfalt, Hochschule Rotterdam, und Dozentin für Medienkunst, Hochschule der Künste Zürich) Moderation: Çağla İlk (Architektin und Kuratorin, büro MILK). Um Anmeldung bis 14. Februar wird gebeten. 

Fr 7. März, 18–21 Uhr Von »Mädchenfallen« und Selbstbewusstsein

Regina M. Banda Stein im Gespräch mit Marie Nejar Am Vorabend des Internationalen Frauentags hören wir den Bericht eines ereignisreichen Lebens: Marie Nejar, Jahrgang 1930, liest aus ihrer Autobiographie »Mach nicht so traurige Augen« und spricht mit Regina M. Banda Stein über ihr Aufwachsen als Schwarzes Mädchen im Nationalsozialismus, über ihr Leben als Schlagersängerin »Leila Negra«, als Krankenschwester und als Aktive in der afrodeutschen Community. Mit: Marie Nejar (ehem. Schlagersängerin und Krankenschwester), Regina M. Banda Stein (ehem. Vorstandsfrau ADEFRA Berlin, Krankenschwester, forscht zur Geschichte Schwarzer Frauen in der Pflege). Um Anmeldung bis 3. März wird gebeten.

Do 20. März, 18–21 Uhr: Feministische Kämpfe of Color in Deutschland. Eine Chronik 

Feminismus in Deutschland ist auch das: Frauen, die nicht nur Sexismus erfahren, sondern auch Rassismus durch die weiße Mehrheitsgesellschaft; Frauen, die sich jenseits von dieser organisieren. Seit Mitte der 1980er Jahre sind Schwarze Feministinnen in »ADEFRA« organisiert und wagen »Immigrantinnen, Schwarze deutsche, jüdische und im Exil lebende Frauen« Bündnisse, zuletzt 2013 in der Tagung »FemoCo«. Was die Beteiligten verbindet: Die Erfahrung, dass Sexismus von Rassismus, Homophobie und anderen Formen der Ausgrenzung nicht zu trennen ist. – Der Abend wagt eine Chronik politischer Kämpfe. Mit: Jasmin Eding (ADEFRA-Gründungsmitglied), Natascha Nassir-Shahnian (FemoCo-Konferenz) und Peggy Piesche (ADEFRA, »Euer Schweigen schützt Euch nicht«). Moderation: Manuela Bauche (August Bebel Institut). Um Anmeldung bis 14. März wird gebeten.

Fr 28. März, 18–20 Uhr: In Gedenken an Juliana Wonja Michael (1921–2013)

Ausstellungsfinissage. Die Finissage ist Juliana Wonja Michael gewidmet, die im März 2013 verstarb. Die Tochter des ab 1894 in Berlin lebenden Kameruners Theophilus Wonja Michael und dessen weißer deutscher Ehefrau Martha Wegner überlebte den Nationalsozialismus durch ihre Arbeit im Zirkus – für viele Schwarze eine Nische, die Arbeit und einen gewissen Schutz vor Verfolgung bot – und in der französischen Emigration. Mit Fotos, Videos, mündlichen Erinnerungen und einer Lesung aus autobiographischen Notizen erinnern wir an die Raubtierdresseurin, Botschaftsangestellte und Übersetzerin. Mit: Nicola Lauré al-Samarai (Historikerin), Lara-Sophie Milagro (Schauspielerin, Label Noir). Um Anmeldung bis 24. März wird gebeten. 

August Bebel Institut, Müllerstr. 163, 13353 Berlin (S+U Wedding) 

 Tel. +49 (0)30 4692-121 / -122 

Fax +49 (0)30 4692-124 

programm@august-bebel-institut.de 

www.facebook.com/augustbebel 

www.august-bebel-institut.de"

Teddy and terrorists

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Du weißt, deine Mama ist Terrorismusforscherin, wenn ... dein armer Teddy in den Koffer gestopft wird ... || You know your mummy is a terrorism scholar when ... poor teddy gets squeezed into the suitcase ...

... zwischen Bücher über Frauen und bewaffneten Kampf, weibliche Rebellen und Entscheidungsfindung in terroristischen Organisationen || ... between books on female militancy, women insurgents and terrorist decision-making ...

Ganz ehrlich? Ich war fast ein bisschen enttäuscht, dass die meinen Koffer am Flughafen nicht geöffnet haben. Hätte zu gerne diese Gesichter gesehen! || To be honest, I was almost a bit disappointed they did not open my suitcase at the airport. Would have loved to see those faces!

Arts, Peace and Conflict

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"Archbishop Desmond Tutu Centre 

for War and Peace Studies

Annual Conference 2014, 2nd - 4th July 2014

Arts, Peace and Conflict

CALL FOR PAPERS 

Arts play a crucial but under-explored role in contexts of peace and conflict. They often provide unusual and complex perspectives on situations prone to oversimplification. But they also play a key role in helping people to come to terms with a legacy of violence and contributing to peacebuilding. 

This conference aims to examine the role of the arts in relation to conflict and peace from theoretical and practical perspectives. It aims to draw together participants from a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds. This involves experts from a range of artistic fields, and we welcome contributions from theatre, performance, literature, visual art, music, poetry, film, photography, digital art, dance or any other related field. 

But equally, we would like to include experts whose primary fields might be in other disciplines. So, the conference is open to those from disciplines such as Geography, Sociology, Politics, Peace and Conflict Studies, Economics, Cultural Studies, History, Media Studies, and Philosophy. 

A keynote theme will be the examination of the role of the arts as a forum for public participation in conflict and post-conflict societies and the keynote event will feature Irish playwright Frank McGuinness discussing the theme of War and the Artist. 

We would hope that among the themes that could be considered are: 

- Theoretical perspectives on understanding the interactions of the arts with conflict and with post-conflict rehabilitation 

- Case study evaluations of historical or contemporary instances of relationships between the arts and conflict/conflict resolution 

- Organisational studies looking at the role of agencies such as NGOs, political institutions, economic actors and educational bodies in relation to the arts 

- Examples of the arts as a tool for cultural intervention in situations of conflict 

- Comparative assessments of the interplay between the arts, peace and conflict in different circumstances and contexts 

- Analytical studies looking at the key themes and issues of relevance in using the arts as an interventionist tool for peace-building 

- Analyses of examples of the use of the arts in education in situations of conflict or conflict resolution 

- Philosophical and ethical evaluations of the roles of the arts, both in engendering conflict and in promoting its resolution 

- Assessments of methodological approaches to the analysis of the role of the arts in conflict and conflict resolution 

Keynote: Frank McGuinness, playwright, poet and Professor of Creative Writing at University College Dublin; in conversation with Lindsay Rodden, from the Everyman and Playhouse Theatre Liverpool. 

The conference is organised by the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Centre for War and Peace Studies at Liverpool Hope University. The venue will be the Capstone Theatre, Liverpool Hope University Creative Campus, Shaw Street, Liverpool, L6 1HP. Please submit abstracts of up to 300 words or full panel abstracts (4 papers max) to tutu@hope.ac.uk until 7 January 2014. Successful applicants will be notified by 18 February 2014. Contributions may also include performative ‘provocations’, demonstrations; or any other suitable format. 

The organising team: 

Dr Stefanie Kappler, kapples@hope.ac.uk 

Dr Brian Desmond, desmonb@hope.ac.uk 

Dr Michael Holmes,holmesm@hope.ac.uk 

Dr Terry Phillips, phillim@hope.ac.uk"

Genderfragen in der Rechtsextremismusprävention

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Mut vor Ort - Was geht?

Fachtag zu Bedingungen und Erfahrungen geschlechterreflektierender Neonazismusprävention

 Dienstag, 26.11.2013, Dreikönigskirche Dresden

"Eine geschlechterreflektierende Haltung in der Jugendarbeit ermöglicht es Benachteiligungen abzubauen, Gleichberechtigung zu fördern und individuelle Handlungs- und Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten für die Jugendlichen zu gestalten. Im Kontext der Arbeit gegen Neonazismus schafft eine solche Perspektive die Voraussetzung, demokratiefeindliche Orientierungen von Mädchen und Jungen sowie geschlechtsbezogene Einstiegs- und Abgrenzungsmomente wahrzunehmen und zu bearbeiten. Jugendarbeit, die sich kritisch mit Ungleichwertigkeits- und Natürlichkeitsannahmen auseinandersetzt, kann präventiv gegen Neonazismus wirken und das nachhaltig. In dessen Ideologie gibt es klare Vorstellungen, wie Frauen und Männer, Jungs und Mädchen "von Natur aus" zu sein haben.

Doch wie ist eine geschlechterreflektierende, um Demokratisierung bemühte Haltung konkret umsetzbar? Was braucht es dafür vor Ort? Was bedeutet der Zusammenhang von Geschlechtervorstellungen und neonazistischer Orientierung für die Praxis? Wie kann eine geschlechterreflektierende Perspektive auf Neonazismus in die Beziehungsgestaltung mit Jugendlichen einfließen?

Das Projekt "Mut vor Ort" ist diesen Fragestellungen gemeinsam mit Fachkräften der Jugendarbeit in der Praxis, ausgehend vom konkreten Bedarf und Fällen, nachgegangen. In einer zwei-jährigen Beratungsphase wurden Rahmenbedingungen, Grundlagen und Grenzsetzungen in der Arbeit mit neonazistisch orientierten Jugendlichen, der Umgang mit Diskriminierungen sowie die Gestaltung eines demokratischen Raums unter einer geschlechterreflektierenden Perspektive bearbeitet.

Auf der Veranstaltung werden die Erfahrungen des Modelprojekts vorgestellt und gemeinsam mit Fachkräften, Interessierten und wissenschaftlichen Expert_innen die Bedingungen und Möglichkeiten geschlechterreflektierender Präventionsarbeit gegen Neonazismus diskutiert."

Mehr Infos zum geplanten Progamm, den Referenten, Veranstaltern und Kosten: siehe hier.

Being a Muslim woman

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"If you have felt guilty because you had doubts, if you felt confused because you considered something in Islam (especially as related to women) oppressive, if you have chosen to distance yourself from the Muslim community because you simply could no longer take feeling intellectually, emotionally and spiritually judged, especially as a woman, I want you to remember something: 

God did not create you, as a woman, to punish you or to crush you or to make you less than men in His eyes. If anyone makes you feel so, then do not be the one who turns away from Islam or the community. We need your voices, especially, to help change the narrative many of our communities have when we especially address women in Islam.

Always remember: Islam does not aim to mute our personalities, rather, to enhance us. If we become unrecognizable to our own selves, we need to think critically on the messages we are accepting into our lives. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not train people to warp into who they are not. Rather, he built people to become better versions of themselves. 

 

God brought you to Islam to help you progress towards a better version of your own self and to benefit humanity. Seek Him, study seriously under solid mentors, and be a means of transforming yourself and those around you for the best. "

 

Maryam Amirebrahimi: 5 Tips to Rethink Women in Islam

No violence

.

"Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. 

It is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind. 

It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding; it seeks to annihilate rather than to convert."

Martin Luther King: Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story

Arab is the new Black

 .

The more I think about it, the more I think political art is the answer. (Ok, ONE answer. But one answer we have neglected for much too long.)

A hero

.

I'm really not one to call anyone a "hero" (hey, I am German after all; we don't really use this word ... anymore) but THIS WOMAN IS A HERO!!!

Meet Keshia, the black female anti-racist teenager who put herself at physical risk ... to protect a (suspected) Ku Klux Klan supporter from a crowd of anti-racist protesters gone mad.

Wow.

Just wow.

I want to be like her!