The Multicultural German Project

2010

• The Turkish government’s invitation to politicians of Turkish heritage in Europe to a meeting in Ankara is met with consternation by German-Turkish delegates. The Turkish government’s attempt to use representatives of other countries to further Turkish interests is critiqued by many who were invited as well as other politicians. Many already reject the invitation, which addresses foreign politicians as representatives of the Turkish government. Erdoğan’s belief that assimilation is a crime, a claim he repeats anew at the meeting, is also criticized once again.
• In March, the first German political party founded by immigrants, the Alliance of Innovation and Justice (Think BIG (BIG)), is allowed to participate in a state election in North Rhine-Westphalia.
• An analysis of multiple studies show that almost all research projects come to the same conclusion concerning the participation of immigrants in German politics, namely that the participation of immigrants is relatively low. This, according to the investigation, is primarily caused by immigrants not having German citizenship and thus being excluded from participating in elections.
• In April, Aygül Özkan (CDU) becomes Minister of Social Affairs in Lower Saxony. She is not only the first Turkish minister of Turkish heritage in Germany, but also the first Muslim to hold such a position. Even before her appointment, she caused an uproar among her own party as well as Muslim representatives by stating that schools should be free of religious symbols.
• On April 19, Heinz Buschkowsky (SPD), mayor of Berlin-Neukölln since 2001, receives the Gustav-Heinemann-Bürgerpreis for his commitment to a democratic society, which is characterized by self-dependent citizens. Buschkowsky is known across Germany for his outspoken criticism of Germany’s immigration policies (“Multikulti has failed”).
• In April, the first annual report of the Expert Advisory Board for Integration and Migration, chaired by Klaus J. Bade, is published. The study, based on interviews and statistical analysis, comes to a positive conclusion regarding the integration of migrants. This study complements the annual report on migration (“Migrationsreport”) and the biannual report of the Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration on similar issues.
• The financial bankruptcy of Greece is causing a major crisis for the European Monetary Union (EMU). The financial problems of Greece as well as those of other EU countries have spurred an outbreak of national populist rhetoric. Some critics of the EMU are suggesting the reinstatement of the Deutsche Mark.
• Feo Aladag’s film, Die Fremde (When We Leave) and the lead actress, Sibel Kekilli, receive nominations for the categories “Best Movie” and “Best Actress” at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Kekilli wins the German Film Prize 2010 for her role in the film.
• The German Islamist Eric Breininger is killed in fighting in Pakistan in early May. German security agencies note an increase in the number of Islamic fighters from Germany.
• In June and July, the German National Team, the “Multikulti-Elf,” fascinates German audiences during the World Cup 2010. Eleven players of the 23 who travelled to South Africa have a so-called “immigrant background.” The team, cheered on by the German-Tunisian Rapper Bushido, is celebrated as a model of successful integration, and the team’s success inspires Germany to dream of a remake of the “Sommermärchen 2006.” Among the international fans is the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who supports the German team and “our man” at the World Cup, German-Turkish player Mesut Özil. Simultaneously, the 8th report on immigrants living in Germany is published by Germany’s Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration: glaring problems regarding the integration of migrants continue to exist.
• On July 3, Kirsten Heisig, judge of a juvenile court in Berlin, commits suicide. Heisig participated in the implementation of the so-called “Neu-Kölner Modell” (named after the city district that Heisig was responsible for): the program implemented simplified criminal proceedings for young offenders. Shortly after her death, her book Das Ende der Geduld. Konsequent gegen jugendliche Gewalttäter, which deals with the disproportionately high crime rate among young immigrants, is published.
• At the end of August, Bild and Spiegel publish excerpts of Thilo Sarrazin’s book Deutschland schafft sich ab. Wie wir unser Land aufs Spiel setzen. Sarrazin’s anti-Muslim claims cause fierce debates and uproar. As earlier as 2009, Sarrazin’s anti-Muslim claims trigger fierce debate. Representatives of the major political parties, journalists, and thousands of citizens commenting online, agree unanimously that the debate about integration in Germany has finally begun. According to Sarrazin, Muslim immigrants endanger the prosperity of German society because of their genetically lower IQ. Experts object strongly and point out that Sarrazin uses poor statistical data to back up his argument.
• At the end of September, a survey conducted by the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research (“Allensbach-Umfrage”) and published in Financial Times Deutschland states that 55% of German society perceive of Muslim immigrants as a burden.
• On October 16, a few days before the 4^th Integration Summit (Integrationsgipfel) is held in Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel declares that multiculturalism has failed as a model. She states that society has to make higher demands on immigrants and calls on Muslims to respect constitutional rights.
• On the occasion of the 20^th anniversary of German unification, Bundespräsident Christian Wulff (CDU) declares in his speech that “Islam is a part of Germany”. He also awards film director Fatih Akin with the Bundesverdienstkreuz (The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany).
• Wulff’s statement plays into the ongoing debate about national identity. Other CDU politicians criticize Wulff’s remarks as excessively Islam-friendly, especially in the light of rising concerns about hostility towards German school children in Berlin (“Deutschfeindlichkeitsdebatte”). Germany discusses once again if young Muslim immigrants are more inclined to use violence than other teenagers. In an interview with Focus, Horst Seehofer (CSU) calls for stricter sanctions for “integration deniers” and wants to put a halt on Turkish and Arabic immigration.
• In November, Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maizière (CDU) warns the public about possible terrorist attacks and fuels anxieties about Muslim violence.
• In Switzerland, the majority of voters (53 %) approve a proposal by the right-wing SVP (Schweizer Volkspartei) to automatically deport “criminal foreigners” (“Ausschaffungsinitiative”), irrespective of how long immigrants have stayed or worked in Switzerland.
• In Germany, Imam Benjamin Idriz publishes his book “Grüß Gott, Herr Imam!”, an account of his day-to-day experiences as a Muslim cleric in the conservative state of Bavaria.
• In December, Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) announces that she wants to focus on attracting more high skilled immigrants in 2011.