Kategorie: Auf Englisch

In the category „auf English“ you will find articles in English. We are working on publishing more articles in English for our readers and on founding a separate English-speaking editorial team.

  • Two pages of a book: From Afghanistan to Germany

    Sunday, August 15, 2021 — Kabul, Afghanistan

    I slept for almost an hour. I looked at the clock; it was almost 5 in the morning. The police forces, which are normally equipped with light weapons, have lost their ability to resist the Taliban, who, by capturing the army bases, now possess heavy weapons, bulletproof vehicles, and are equipped with tanks and Humvees.

    The supply system is completely paralyzed, and it is not even possible to supply bread and water for the police. Despite the many years of talks between the officials of the Ministry of Interior and NATO to localize the supply and logistics system of the Ministry, our strategic partners have not agreed and have emphasized adapting the system experienced in America and Europe with a focus on the private sector. All the needs of the Afghan police, from weapons to nutrition, are provided by private companies, all of which have fled in recent weeks due to the increasing insecurity. The police now have no ammunition, their salaries have not been paid, and they don’t even have bread or water.

    „Reports from the Kabul city level indicate widespread disorder and confusion“

    The Taliban have reached the neighboring provinces of Kabul. The special procedure for situations like this will be activated in the office of the Minister of Interior, and the Minister of Interior will directly take the leadership of the war in the provinces of Kapisa, Nangarhar, Maidan Wardak, Laghman, and Logar.

    It is around 10 o’clock in the morning. Our contact with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the General Directorate of National Security has been disrupted. Reports from the Kabul city level indicate widespread disorder and confusion. It is decided that to prevent disorder in the city of Kabul, the police special forces will enter the police stations and be stationed in strategic points of the city, including diplomatic quarters.

    Reports from the NATO coordination office indicate that five thousand fresh American troops will arrive in Kabul by evening, and will create a buffer line between the government forces and the Taliban within a radius of 200 to 250 kilometers from Kabul to prevent the fall of the city. There have been direct clashes with Taliban forces in several places around Kabul.

    It’s about 11:15. The president’s secretary calls me as a chief of staff and says the president wants to talk to the interior minister. They talk for about 5 minutes. The president wants order to be maintained in Kabul.

    The minister returns to the leadership of the ministry, and he decides to declare martial law from this evening so that the security forces can identify the enemy and prevent disorder in the city.

    I call a family friend and ask him to take my wife and two children to their house. Reports from the NATO coordination office state that the commander of the American forces said that they have been informed to focus only on the transfer of diplomats to the airfield, and we cannot count on their support.

    „Reports state that the president and the national security adviser have left the country“

    It is reported that black smoke is rising from the headquarters of the US embassy in Kabul. We contacted the security unit of the diplomatic centers. They say that the US embassy is being evacuated, and they are burning documents and some embassy equipment.

    At 1:22 PM, reports state that the president and the national security adviser have left the country, the first vice president is missing, and the second vice president has gone to Kabul airport to leave the country.

    The hierarchy of command has been destroyed in the absence of the president and his deputies. There is no ammunition, and the national and military institutions have collapsed.

    At once, the last two decades’ flash in my mind, from all the efforts we have made to bring change in Afghanistan, wherever my generation and I have worked days and nights for change. I have lost dozens of my colleagues who were martyred in terrorist attacks, including my driver who was martyred, and when I entered their house, his family said that his wife had also died by suicide in his absence …

    Four hours later, two decades of progress crumbled.

     

    Tuesday, July 2, 2024- Barmstedt, Germany

    It has been 22 months since I arrived in Germany. On my first day here, at the age of 37, it felt as if the clock of my life was reset to zero, and I had to start learning to speak again like a child.

    Today, I am a part of two interconnected societies. My journey began by studying the principles of German foreign policy on the “refugee crisis,” which emphasized addressing crises at their origin to prevent the creation of refugees.

    Together with some friends, I established the “Afghanistan New Generation Experts Network”, bringing together hundreds of Afghan experts from around the world to transform Afghanistan’s future. This network aims to convey and share facts with the Afghan audience. We have now established the “Afghanistan Watch” news agency, which focuses on the situation in Afghanistan and strives to maintain freedom of expression and access to facts for the Afghan audience.

    We also initiated the “European Diversity Newsroom”, where the voices of refugees, the stateless, and the undocumented are integrated to influence policymaking in Europe.

    A month ago, alongside other Afghan organizations in Europe, we founded the Network of Civil Organizations for the Future of Afghanistan in Geneva, Switzerland. Here, Afghan girls and boys collaborate and strategize to shape the future of our country.

    „Togetherness is always preferable to confrontation“

    Humanity has always aspired to travel in pursuit of better living conditions, with the Earth as our shared home. Political borders should not hinder our mutual understanding and coexistence. Just as goods and ideas flow across the globe, fostering our survival and development, we must embrace positive human exchanges. Togetherness is always preferable to confrontation.

    I will forever be indebted to the German government and its people for saving my life and that of my family. I hope that the policy of protecting those at risk, rooted in human rights values, continues to garner widespread support in this country. Investing in border restrictions does not yield positive or lasting results; we must invest in creating a better life for all on this planet.

     

     

  • Spending Ramadan in Turkey

    For me, Ramadan is the month of worship and learning patience. It is one of the five pillars of Islam: it is ordered in the Quran, and all able Muslims (those who are mature and in good health) are expected to fast from sunrise to sunset during this month. With the end of the Ramadan, Zakat Donations are given and Eid al-Fitr is celebrated with loved ones.

    I spent one week of Ramadan in Turkey in order to experience the difference. The day began with having and eating Sahari before 05:47 (timing differed each day). Usually I started my day by eating hearty food and drinking enough water and tea so to avoid dehydration.

    I used to then sleep after Sahari until 10:00 or 11:00 since I was there on holidays, so I used to sleep until late during the day and those working had to wake up early so to start work. After waking up at 11:00, my mother and I would start preparing for Iftar. During Ramadan, different kinds of foods are made for Iftar and the following main meal. We preferred eating light food like a soup or any kind of fried food like Bolani, Sambosa, Pakora for Iftar and for the main meal normally rice, vegetables, or meat is cooked. So, the day used to pass on by cooking food for Iftar, baking and praying.

    During Iftar time, the streets were very empty since everyone were either in their homes or in the food spots like restaurants to break their fast. Normally, in Turkey during Iftar every food spot has their special Ramadan menu, it is the same in Germany. I have observed that most of the Turkish Restaurants have their Iftar or Ramadan menu.

    I remember during my childhood, when we used to live in Pakistan and Afghanistan, it was the same during Iftar. No one was seen in the streets. Everyone was either in their homes or restaurants. After Iftar was the time that most of the people used to get back to either their work or go to Mosques for prayers.

    What I have observed in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Turkey, is that in the month of Ramadan people do a lot of charity; in the form of either giving money to people in need or making food, feeding and distributing it for either those who are in need or their neighbours and relatives.

    When I was a child, the Eid-Ul-Fitr was the ceremony which we used to wait and be excited for. On Eid day we would get new clothes, shoes. And people were getting ready for the Eid during the month of Ramadan by cleaning, washing, painting the walls and making new clothes. It was one of the best occasions of the year. But in Germany it has been many years that I have not celebrated Eid since I don’t have any relatives here; and normally if Eid happens during the week it is not possible to celebrate with friends. Only on weekends, it is possible to celebrate.

     

    This article was also published in German

     

  • Culture of Love #3: Desire for sexual self-determination

    Sorour grew up in Iran in a very conservative environment and had contact with boys for the first time at the age of 16 – but in Germany. In the third article in our “Culture of Love” series, she talks about her early experiences when it comes to dating, prejudices and the desire for sexual self-determination. Dating and love can be pleasant experiences but also quite exhausting. Nice because you can meet a person who inspires you, with whom you can trade closeness and intimacy. Exhausting, because we live in a society that is moving ahead with sexist and racist stereotypes and norms. What experiences do people with migration and refugee background in Germany have when it comes to dating and love?

    Two people meet each other and out of it emerge two (cultural) identities with different expectations, socialization and experiences, also different desires, freedoms and sometimes languages. This can lead to misunderstandings, prejudices, new insights and similarities.

    20-year-old Sorour grew up with her mother and sister in Iran in a very conservative society. A society that divides social life by gender. She only went to school with girls and had no contact with male peers in her family. It was only when she came to Germany at the age of 16 that she met boys. Adjusting to a new life in a new society on a new continent was a challenge. She is now very conscious of what she wants, of her sexual identity and needs. In Germany, she can live all this out more freely. However, she still repeatedly encounters prejudices and limitations that have to do with stereotypical images of an Iranian woman.

    “It wasn’t appreciated that a girl would have not only girl friends, but also boy friends“

    In Iran, I did not have the least opportunity to develop any romantic relationships. The social structure is strictly conservative and actually forbids any friendly, romantic and sexual contact between men and women. It was not even appropriate to see that a girl has not only girl friends but also boy friends. The only legitimate contact between a woman and a man, if they are not related, is in wedlock. Friends of mine secretly had boyfriends, but I would have been too cowardly for that. And because we had no real contact with our relatives, I did not have any contact with men or boys. Therefore, I had no opportunity to have a secret relationship.

    The social system is pretty restrictive when it comes to love and sexuality. It was only in Germany that I met male friends, including the first male Iranian friend. Back then, I only fancied women. The only thing I experienced was my first kiss. I had that with a girl, on my lips, and it was very nice.

    “I was just fed up with this image”

    To me, marriage in Iranian and Muslim culture is a pet peeve. Not only since the Iranian and Muslim culture consider it as the only legitimate framework for living out one’s own sexuality, but also for the image of women this partnership conveys. This conservative image of partnership has always had negative connotations for me. I pictured it like getting up in the morning, preparing breakfast, waking up my husband and then getting the kids ready. They go to school, we have bad sex. I may not have a job. Thus, I am unhappy and dependent on my husband.

    However, I was always sure that I didn’t want that. I was just fed up with this picture, and I definitely don’t want to have bad sex! It was also clear to me that living out my sexuality doesn’t have to have anything to do with love for another person. I want to have sex without commitment.

    In Germany, society is sexually much more open and self-determined. I thought it suits me much more just to be this free woman who decides her own life and does not let others rule her. Moreover, I wanted to enjoy these new freedoms. I hadn’t had any sexual experiences before, and I longed to try these new things. Here, for example, I noticed that I like boys too. I also know that there isn’t just one image of Iranian and Muslim culture. It’s just very ubiquitous, and it is something I want to get rid of.

    “As for me, I’m pretty much interested in other cultures, but I’m only ever wrapped up in my own culture”

    However, I don’t find it that easy to use these new freedoms here. I don’t know how to meet people to live these new experiences, as I don’t want to use dating apps. Nonetheless, I met a German boy through a texting group. I wasn’t romantically interested in him at all. But he was the only boy around me, and I wanted to try kissing him. He then wanted to introduce me directly to his family. I got the feeling that he was only doing it because I’m Iranian. Like I’m that poor woman getting in trouble for kissing a boy. I don’t think he would have done that if I were German.

    It is not the only time I’ve felt like coming face to face with an image of an Iranian woman that I don’t match. I once dated a Syrian man. It seemed like he was only dating me because I’m Iranian, so I’m a loyal wife and good mother. He wanted to get married, but not to a European woman, since they would always cheat. I would have loved to tell him that I also know Iranian women who cheat on their husbands. However, I just thought that’s exactly what I don’t want. I might as well have done that in Iran. Thus, I haven’t seen him again.

    “He said I would come across as well-behaved, like a “model refugee” who only cares about school”

    But I still yearned for sexual experiences. I then met an Afghan who grew up in Iran through a friend of a friend’s. Then I just told him that I would like to have sex with him to try it out. At first, he was surprised. He said I would come across as well-behaved, like a “model refugee” who only cares about school. Just not the self-assured Iranian woman who asks for sex. It was the first time that I could have such experiences in my mother tongue. Before that, I only spoke German with the guys I met.

    “I am quite interested in other cultures and feel confident enough to date in German”

    As a matter of fact, I am quite interested in other cultures and feel confident enough to date in German. But I always find myself entangled in my own culture. It seems to me that Germans have no interest in dating a foreigner like me. As if they seemed willing to avoid stress and therefore held back. Whereby they project the image of the unfree and unsure Iranian woman onto me. This is something which annoys me a to a large degree.

    Sorour’s desire when it comes to dating and love is that women allow themselves to indulge in more. She has the feeling that many women are afraid of insult and stigma because of their culture, prejudice, or fear of living out their sexuality freely. It is particularly important to her that women also allow each other these freedoms and do not judge each other for their sexual conduct.

    We publish the “Culture of Love” series every two weeks. Would you also like to be part of our series and tell us about your dating experiences? Get in touch at team@kohero-magazin.de or via DM on Instagram or Facebook. The portraits in the “Culture of Love” series are illustrated by Maxi Spalek.

    This article was first published in German and translated into English by Manal Ismail.

  • Residence permit for a child born in Germany

    Answer:

    Hi Abdul,

    Congratulations on the birth of your child!

    According to Section 33 of the German Residence Act, a child born in Germany is granted a residence permit ex officio if both parents have a residence permit or a settlement permit at the time of birth. This is the case with you and your wife.

    Under certain conditions, the child born in Germany can also be granted German citizenship (§ 4 paragraph 3 Citizenship Act) if:

    • one of the parents has had legal residence in Germany for eight years and
    • is in possession of an unlimited residence permit, i.e., the settlement permit.

     

    The time of the asylum procedure is regularly not legal residence in the sense required here, which is only permitted residence. However, the time of the asylum procedure subsequently becomes legal residence if the asylum procedure ends with a positive decision.

    We do not know how long you have been in Germany legally, but if it has already been eight years, we would advise you to apply for German citizenship for your child.

     

    This article was first puplished in German:

    https://kohero-magazin.com/frage-und-antwort-warum-keinen-unbefristeten-aufenthalt-fuer-mein-kind/

  • My diaspora

    My Diaspora

    It opens up to you

    not like when you open the door on a thundery day, with the wind hitting your face and blowing your scarf away, yet you have the earth beneath your feet

    It is more like a black hole, similar to those we see in nightmares, but we can’t escape no matter how much we blare

    In this black hole, kiddos hang themselves because they have no smartphones

    not to have fun with, no, no, no, no

    but to attend school in pandemic days

    and now those angels found their way to graves!

    Where they put in jail, mother and daughter as the punishment for their decision

    ‘cause they want to be free, just like swallows, flying but not flee

    ‘cause they want the wind to blow in their hair, and the sun to shine without a fear!

    Spiraled downward, I hear screams of a woman and her children -one is as young as mine-

    When the officials ruin their shack, to make into ash what they called their “house”

    Neither bulldozers, not even hammers, a push of the hand proved to suffice to tear the bricks down and her life shattered

    Next thing I know, I am safe, and sound and my son is fine; and Judith Butler is talking to us on “The force of Nonviolence”

    The whole November, I did not just dare to look at the blood that blossomed on the young faces -as young as 13- that stared at me with life in their eyes

    Sure after a year and for many more to come

    I did run away from the warmth of their bodies lying on the street with people running, the warmth that poured out of my screen and so far beyond

    And their names gliding over my hometown

    Where the air is polluted and so are all the minds,

    And how to end all this? With a finger touch!

    Just touch the × on that corner up!

    But how to stop that one finger touch on the trigger of the all those guns?

    That won’t fade away, but now anyway, it’s time to wake up!

    Ah, Welcome to Hanau[1]!

    Welcome to life in my diaspora!

    [1]  In February 2020, a racist gunman killed nine people in two shisha bars in the German town of Hanau.

  • Zentrum ÜBERLEBEN: psychological care for refugees

    Mr. Diab, what services are available for refugees at Zentrum ÜBERLEBEN?

    Our therapeutic services – the day clinic, the outpatient department for adults, and the children’s and adolescents‘ department – are meant for refugees who have experienced torture, persecution, war, or human trafficking in their home country or during their flight, and as a result have suffered psychological distress in the form of trauma and trauma-related disorders.

    In turn, the Paulo Freire Vocational School and the Department for Refugee Assistance can serve a much broader group of migrants and refugees. Language and computer courses, school-leaving qualifications, vocational preparation courses, and training and further education are offered there.

    In addition, we offer low-threshold services such as the specialist office of the Berlin Network for Vulnerable Refugees. The network includes seven organizations in Berlin that carry out an initial diagnosis and determine the special need for protection for LGBTIQ+ people, people with disabilities, women, pregnant women as well as minors, among other things. The specialist office at the centre in this frame is the contact and counselling centre for traumatized people and victims of severe violence.

     

    A diverse Team is the key to success

     

    Which countries do your patients in the day clinic come from?

    People from all crisis areas of the last 30 to 35 years that are within reach of Europe find their way to us. For example, from the sub-Saharan region, West and East Africa, the Middle East, Asian countries such as Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan or Afghanistan, and the Balkans. Last year, we had a significant increase in requests from Afghanistan and Iran, understandably because of the Taliban takeover and protests in Iran. Such events have a direct impact on our work. Currently there are also many requests from refugees from Turkey.

     

    „Word-for-word translation is only part of their job“

     

    Refugees who are treated in the day clinic usually speak different languages and come from different cultures and political contexts. How do you and your colleagues adjust to this?

    We are pretty diverse team. While this can improve even more, we have colleagues that come from Africa or Asia, colleagues that speak French, Farsi or, like myself, Arabic as their mother tongue. This offers a variety of starting points for our patients.

    Likewise, the colleagues who grew up here contribute a lot to the treatment concept with their experience. But most of all, our language and cultural mediators are of enormous importance: the word-for-word translation is only one part of their work. Sometimes, as a therapist, one has the feeling that something remains hidden, which can have linguistic or cultural reasons. The language and cultural mediators know how things are expressed or addressed in the respective countries and they are able to read between the lines. This helps to understand what is going on in the patient’s mind.

     

    Trauma sequelae disorder – the danger of splitting

     

    How difficult is it for your patients to talk about their problems?

    Most struggle to put their experiences into words. This is to do with the traumatic experiences themselves on the one hand and the way traumatic experiences are processed on the other. Central here is the notion of splitting. When we experience something horrible, our psyche tries to protect us by splitting off and pushing aside troublesome things to ensure survivability in such a threat scenario. This is a sensible process in order to survive the threat.

    But when the threat is over and there is no success in integrating the experiences into the rest of the psychological events, the splitting off remains. The risk of developing trauma sequelae disorder in the sense of post-traumatic stress disorder is then very high.

     

    “Images that are so powerful that the person feels like they are reliving the trauma”

     

    What are the symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder?

    A central symptom is hyperarousal. People are in a state of permanent tension towards their environment. Every noise, every movement or stress from outside can quickly lead to sensory overload.

    The re-experiencing is a second, very important factor. Triggered by a key stimulus, the traumatic experience returns and controls the sufferer’s perception. The most common form is flashbacks. These are images so strong that the person feels that he or she is reliving the trauma or parts of it, sometimes even accompanied by the physical pain associated with the original torture. The images can occur while awake and in the form of nightmares.

    Another symptom is avoidance behavior: Due to the inundation of stimuli and flashbacks triggered by everyday life, affected individuals tend to avoid situations that could evoke memories of the trauma. This significantly affects people’s everyday lives and, in some cases, can lead to complete isolation.

    To what extent do the mental ailments make themselves felt physically?

    Repressed trauma material and the associated emotional states that have not been processed or expressed in a timely manner can quickly result in physical ailments. Many struggle with back pain or headaches.

     

    „Regaining trust in the sovereignty of one’s own body”

    In addition, the perception of one’s own body may be disturbed. After all, we are talking about a body that has experienced an assault in the sense of torture, human trafficking or sexualized violence. Especially in the case of sexualized violence, the body is often perceived as something shameful, vulnerable and repulsive and not as something lovable and enjoyable.

    Regaining trust in the sovereignty of one’s own body and experiencing anew the mutual positive influence of psyche and body can contribute a lot to a successful therapeutic process. For this reason, about one third of our therapy offers are body-related. Examples of this are mindfulness training, dance therapy, sports and relaxation techniques

     

    Methods and means of Zentrum Überleben

     

    Why is the focus in the day clinic on group therapies?

    People whose complaints are chronic and who can no longer cope with everyday life come to us in the day clinic. Building trust and dealing with other people is a major challenge for many. Group services have the advantage that difficulties can be experienced on site and  direct intervention is possible. What people experience outside in everyday life they also experience in our groups, except that here they are accompanied therapeutically and are in a protected space.

    When problems arise, there is an opportunity to try things out and explore new avenues. Our services can be roughly divided into body-based, creative and speech-based therapies. In addition to the group therapies, we offer individual sessions with therapists, physiotherapy and social work sessions. Especially the meetings with the social workers are very important, because our patients are not only struggling with psychological stress, but also with the challenge of being in a country where they do not know how everything works.

    How do refugees find their way to Zentrum ÜBERLEBEN?

    Most patients are referred to us by their first aiders in their shared accommodation. Hospitals, outpatient clinics, colleagues in private practice, counselling centres or semi-professional support systems also send many people to us. It also happens that people who speak English find us on the Internet. Some of them find us through the community.

     

    „Anyone who has health insurance can be treated at our clinic“

     

    How does the centre finance itself?

    Each department has its own concept and funding. The day clinic currently has 24 places. We are relatively well positioned because we are financed by the health insurance funds. Anyone who has health insurance can be treated at our clinic. That doesn’t cover our costs, but it covers a good part of them.

    Other areas, such as the outpatient department, are financed in a mixed way by the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, project funds and donations. Zentrum ÜBERLEBEN has a budget of 8 million euros, and this comes from all kinds of sources: the federal government, the state, health insurance companies, districts, the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, private individuals and so on. That doesn’t exactly make things easy.

     

    Poor psychosocial care in rural areas

     

    The psychological care needs of refugees in Germany are far from being met. What needs to change from your point of view?

    We are better positioned in Berlin than in any other federal state, but even here the situation is often precarious. If you look outside the city, the situation is even disastrous in some cases. There are entire landscapes where there is no provision for refugees. Due to the language barrier, many opportunities remain closed to these people.

    This is where the legislator is needed. For years it has been pointed out that the right to treatment does not end with the infrastructure and the availability of doctors, therapists and nurses, but that mediation is also part of it. The costs for interpreters are still not covered. There must be a change in the law so that the health insurance companies cover these costs.

     

    „The focus should rather be on how we can create a pluralistic society with all these differences, but also clear boundaries“

     

    These grievances do not only affect the psychiatric and psychotherapeutic field. There are many diseases that are overlooked and thus remain untreated. We often diagnose high blood pressure, diabetes and infectious diseases along the way. This goes completely under the radar because people don’t have adequate access to the healthcare system.

    How do you feel about the image of refugees conveyed by the media in light of the stories you are confronted with every day?

    I find the reporting in the media to be very one-sided. It does not do justice to the complexity and diversity of this group. My personal impression is that integration is shifted onto those affected. The accusation that they don’t integrate and abide by the rules often resonates within reporting.
    I understand integration differently. Integration is a joint process. In my view, however, the main responsibility lies with the political decision-makers and not with those who are „stranded“ and isolated here. Politics has missed out on a few things here.

    The political discourse should not be about all migrants and refugees becoming Germans. The focus should rather be on how we can create a pluralistic society with all these differences, but also clear boundaries. From my experience as a therapist working with very diverse groups, I can say that this can indeed work.

     

    This article was also published in German

     

  • Transfer from an initial reception to subsequent accommodation

    Dear Reader,

    First of all, your commitment to learn the German language as soon as possible is admirable! What a pity that the school is now so far away. In Hamburg, the transfer from an initial reception to subsequent accommodation is carried out by the authority for labor, social affairs, family, and integration. The subsequent accommodations are mostly run by a municipal company called „fördern und wohnen“. This distribution can sometimes happen very quickly (in your case within only three days), sometimes it can take a very long time.

    I would advise contacting the relevant management of the shelter and describe the problem. Perhaps there is a way to quickly find a language course near close to the new accommodation. Whether it is possible to move to a subsequent accommodation closer to the original initial reception, i.e., near the language school, would then possibly also need to be clarified.

    However, there is also the possibility to rent your own apartment that is close to the language school. Refugees entitled to protection, i.e., people with asylum recognition, refugee recognition, subsidiary protection, or other residence titles, generally have the right to move into their own apartment. In the case of some residence titles, the foreigners’ authorities can add a note that the refugee must live in a specific residence. Unfortunately, it is very difficult for refugees to find a suitable apartment on the Hamburg housing market.

    Best of luck!

     

    Diese Artikel wurde auch auf Deutsch veröfftlicht.

  • No Syrian identity without shared memories

    FB: Over ten years after the Syrian revolution: Hussam asks himself how Syrian society has changed after all these years and how this affects the Syrian identity today? And he tells us what his wishes are for the future.

    “We dared to dream and will not regret the dignity” – many Syrians adorned their profile pictures on Facebook with this quote by an Arabic poet to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Syrian revolution. The quote was made prominent when Oscar-nominated film maker Waad al-Kateab wore it embroidered onto her pink dress that she wore to the 2020 Oscar celebration on the red carpet.

    The quote also started big discussions on social media. Many were asking themselves: Which dignity do we have in the year 2021, when so many Syrians live in such bad conditions, whether in Northern Syria, the Lebanon or Greece?

    Some facts and figures about the situation

    • Here are some facts to illustrate the situation:
    • Since 2011, 387100 people were killed through war and attacks by the regime
    • Experts estimate that the war has taken the lives of 22.149 children
    • 88.000 Syrians have died by torture
    • 2,1 million Syrians have been wounded in the war
    • 1,400 Syrians died because of chemical weapons
    • 6,5 million Syrians are displaced in their own country
    • 5,6 million Syrians have had to flee their country

    When we take a look at these numbers, it makes sense to ask: What dreams have we realised? Can we who have survived say that we don’t regret it?

    Remembering together and sharing experiences

    On the other hand, I was reading a lot from Syrians who were excited, jubilant about the quote. They shared their and our dreams, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Clubhouse. They remembered together how the revolution started. And they pointed out that we live in freedom now (some in Germany, others in Canada or France), not under dictatorship. But there are also many who think that the quote could concern our future.

    In my personal opinion: After ten years at war, on flight and in exile, this quote and the discussion surrounding it show how divided Syrian society is. The question remains whether we have one Syria, or multiple? Do we remember one revolution, or does each and every one of us have their own story of the revolution?

    A look back into the past

    In order to understand why we are where we are today, we should talk about the past together. It is important that we as Syrians come together and ask ourselves critical but fair questions: Why was the revolution not successful? How did the revolution evolve into civil war and a regional war zone? Can we find a way of answering these questions, without laying all blame on “the others”?

    For me, there are a lot of issues that should be discussed by all Syrians, together. It starts with asking: How was Syrian society before 2011?

    Many observers and also Syrians say that “we” had a functioning society before the revolution, with good cohabitation – no matter if  Christians, Sunni, Shia, Druze, Alawites or Yazidis. That is sadly not true. What we are experiencing now shows that we were not living with each other, but next to each other, parallel in our fear of the regime. We weren’t honest with each other, didn’t talk about the difficult issues such as discrimination or cohesion. Instead, we just carried on with our lives – and the feeling of societal disappointment.

    The meanings of freedom

    When the revolution started and some Syrians were demanding their freedom, there was no coherent understanding of freedom. Nobody had the chance to discuss which freedom we want. For whom, and how far can it go? This led to the question of the definition of freedom in Syria. Is it freedom from the Assad regime? Freedom from the Ba’ath party? From the dictatorial system? Freedom in a political context, or also in society? In religion and in education? Or freedom solely in the hearts of the people?

    The loosely defined term has led to the development of different groups – unsurprisingly. The problem in Syria, however, is that there was never the time to have these discussions in the media or with one another. Each and everyone extended the invitation to his or her freedom and after ten years, not much has evolved.

    Say there were three groups in 2011 and 2012: One against Assad, one was pro-Assad, and then a group that for a number of reasons does not have a clear position. Some do not care, some have issues with both sides. Others are too worried to position themselves either one way or another concerning Assad. Although the third group is, in my opinion, the largest, its voice has not yet been loud enough in Syrian discourse. This could be because the boundaries between the groups are not always clear. Also the silent majority is not known for fighting with others on social media.

    As mentioned, some people I know aren’t interested in what will happen, they concentrate on their survival. Even if they didn’t actively participate in the revolution or the war, they simply try to carry on with life as well as possible. Sadly almost nobody cares about this particular group, and the other groups don’t have much in common with them. Often they oppose their inactive countryfolk and try to judge them. „Either you are with us or against us“ – this is a motto of our discussions, especially on social media.

    The economic reasons for the revolution

    Many Syrians to this day ignore the economic aspects that were one of the reasons that fuelled the Syrian revolution. On Facebook, our discussions are mainly focussed on the political realm. For example, how many young people demonstrated against the dictatorial system. But the economic situation also had a large influence on the course of the revolution. In the beginning, the demonstrations saw large support from the rural areas and villages. This includes an important perspective on the revolution.

    Nowadays we are instead fighting about which day should be reserved for anniversary „celebrations“ – either the fifteenth of March or the eighteenth. On the fifteenth of March, under the influence of the Arabic spring, the first demonstrations against Assad took place in Damascus. On March 18, the first demonstrations against the head of the regional secret service took place in Daraa. Secret service had tortured and killed eighteen children because they had written anti-Assad slogans onto their school walls.

    This discussion about either March 15th or March 18th has been described by a journalist on aljazeera.net as a symbol for the division of Syrian society. One part comes from the main town of Damascus and the large city Aleppo, carried by traditional politics that are influenced by the Arabic spring and against Assad. The other is made up by the farmers and workers from Daraa and other villages. A collective plan for the revolution did not exist.

    Hopes and opinions at the beginning of the revolution

    Many revolutionaries believed that Assad would be toppled soon after the first demonstrations. At the demonstrations where people were protesting for Assad you could hear slogans like „Syria al Assad“, which roughly translates to „Assad’s Syria“. They were supposed to show that the family Assad, the regime, the state and country all belong together.

    Many revolutionaries were set on overthrowing everything, not just Bashar as president. That’s why a lot of people founded a new army against Assad. Many young people were against the Syrian flag of the Ba’ath Party, which is why they carried a new (which is actually old) flag.

    Other Syrians have criticised the Syrian national football team for being a regular vehicle for Assad’s propaganda. There were campaigns online with the hashtag „The national team does not represent me“. I can’t blame anyone, but I do think it is a shame we didn’t get the chance to think further. If Assad had been overthrown then, how would Syria have looked like? Would we have had to live with two flags and two national football teams? The bombs of the regime, the weapons of the regional powers and the ideology of the militia have taken this chance from us.

    10 years later – the situation today

    And now? Those following the news will note that Syria is more or less split into three parts. One part pro-Assad, one part for Syrian Kurds and one for the Free Syrian Army (which is under Turkish command). In these parts, Syrian society continues to break apart even further.

    And then there are also Syrian refugees all over the world. Many of them have started a new life, they live in new apartments and have found work. They speak new languages and have acquainted themselves with new cultures. Many experience loneliness, discrimination or their Refugee Life Crisis. Other Syrian refugees still live under catastrophic conditions in camps. Their children do not go to school, many are worried about the next generation.

    All these developments have led to very different paths, tales of hardship, perspectives, opinions and memories. As the Syrian author Dima Wannous put it at a Heinrich Böll Foundation event: „We as Syrians have lost the common memory, and the memory is identity. How can we live together without collective identity and remembrance?“

    I have hope that in the next ten years, we will be able to discuss more with each other. We can learn from our various political, economic, historical and social perspectives, and maybe even find solutions. Grounded in these discussions, new coalitions (maybe even political parties) can be built. Not as copies of European parties or systems, but rather these could grow out of the many Syrian social groups. With the hope that all Syrians can someday cast their vote, these parties can argue, discuss, coalesce and shape the hope for tomorrow.

    Until then, we as Syrians should understand how we argue more with each other, discuss, and ask questions, so that we get to know each other better and build a new, shared and honest Syrian identity.

     

    This article was first published in German and translated into English by Sassetta Harford.

    https://kohero-magazin.com/keine-syrische-identitaet-ohne-gemeinsame-erinnerungen/

     

  • Dual citizenship and the agony of choice

    In May 2023, parliamentary and presidential elections will be held in Turkey again after five years. These will be held in the light – or rather, in the shadow – of the recent earthquakes.

    The earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 and the aftershocks affected Syria as well as Turkey and have so far claimed the lives of around 50,000 people. Historic cities like Antakya were almost obliterated.

    Politicising the earthquake

    While some speak of a tragic fate, others hold politics responsible. For example, many on social media criticise that the earthquake tax introduced after the 1999 Izmit earthquake did not reach the right places: construction in the earthquake-prone regions was still inadequate. Video footage shows that a large part of the buildings collapsed like card houses. The earthquake has traumatised Turkish society. This trauma will also have an effect on the elections, many are sure.

    Germany as a constituency

    As in all elections in Turkey, Turkish[1] voters in Germany play a major role. There are about 1.5 million people living in Germany who have Turkish citizenship and are therefore entitled to vote if they are at least 18 years old. Thus, these voters constitute a comprehensive and relevant constituency for Turkish politicians.

    The fact that the turnout of this group of voters is not insignificant has been shown time and again in the past: In the parliamentary and presidential elections in 2018, 64.8 per cent of voters living in Germany voted for the ruling AKP party and President Erdoğan, while the result in Turkey was 52.6 per cent. This means that the approval of the government’s course among voters in Germany was more than ten percent higher than that of voters in Turkey.

    Criticism of the Union and adherence to the Turkish passport

    Many politicians in Germany were dismayed by this. On the one hand, politicians from the CDU/CSU in particular emphasised that the failed integration of a large part of people of Turkish origin in Germany could be deduced from this election result. On the other hand, they used this as an argument to once again vehemently oppose dual citizenship. As the Union’s criticism suggests, the voting behaviour of people with Turkish citizenship in Germany has always been a controversial issue.

    In Turkey, too, criticism has been voiced repeatedly in the past, especially by members of the opposition, against the fact that people living in Germany can influence the election even though they do not have to live with the political decisions in their everyday lives. This argument is indeed difficult to refute because it has a true core.

    Ultimately, however, it also makes it clear that citizenship is an issue that cannot be understood on a factual level alone. There are many reasons why people hold on to their passports, sometimes pragmatic, sometimes emotional. Then there are also those who do not have to decide at all because they have German citizenship in addition to Turkish citizenship anyway.

    People with Turkish and German citizenship

    Of the approximately 1.5 million people in Germany with a Turkish passport, about 300,000, i.e. less than a fifth, also hold a German passport. They have the privilege of being able to vote both in Germany and in Turkey. Especially those people with dual citizenship have always been a thorn in the side of the CDU/CSU. They have repeatedly pleaded for the abolition of dual citizenship and regard any reforms in favour of extending it as critical. Linked to this is the demand that people should choose a passport, and thus also a country.

     

    Legal Situation

    In recent years, the legal situation has developed in favour of an extension of dual citizenship, much to the chagrin of the Union. For example, it was initially the case that people who accepted German citizenship had to relinquish their other citizenship in return. The exception has always been children who have both a German and a foreign, in this case Turkish, parent. These children were entitled to both citizenships by birthright. Since late 2014, this has also applied to children of foreign parents who have lived in Germany for at least eight years. The reform of the citizenship law could make dual citizenship even more common.

    Heterogeneous identities of people of origin from Turkey in Germany

    As already indicated, there are many different reasons why people hold on to their Turkish passport. Sometimes they are emotional, because the passport is linked to identity and reflects the longing for a life in Turkey. Sometimes financial and bureaucratic hurdles prevent people from exchanging their Turkish passport for a German one. The diverse perspectives reflect the diversity of the diaspora of people from Turkey, which, like all (post)migrant communities, cannot be pigeonholed.

    For many people that have an origin from Turkey, Turkey is a place with which they associate very different things. People with origin from Turkey are not only Turks, but also Kurds, Yezidis, Greeks, Armenians, etc., who do not always associate (only) positive things with Turkey. Even though many people in this diaspora know the feeling of being perceived as different in both Germany and Turkey, they often feel connected to both countries.

    Double bond or dichotomy?

    From the perspective of a person with a Turkish mother, German father and dual citizenship, I can say for my part that connection and dichotomy often go hand in hand. The search for identity and a sense of belonging often begins within one’s own four walls. There were phases in my life when I felt more „German“ and phases when I felt more „Turkish“ – often depending on the environment in which I moved and what expectations were placed on me.

    For a long time, I had a romanticised idea of Turkey as the country I travelled to with my family during the summer holidays. For me, Turkey was above all the small town on the Aegean coast where I had spent numerous summers in my childhood and youth. Every year I counted the days until the summer holidays.

    A political voice

    When I think of Turkey today, often the first image that pops into my head is my grandpa sitting on the veranda of the summer house at 2am, embracing us after a 30-hour car journey. I have a very emotional attachment to Turkey because it is the country where my mother spent her childhood and youth. All the touching and bizarre stories of her student days take place in Istanbul and not in Cologne.

    I know that a passport is not important for expressing my sense of belonging, but it is important for giving me a political voice. It is a privilege that I don’t have to live with the political decisions, but I am very grateful to be able to have this quiet voice. Because I do care about what happens in Turkey. I also care about what happens in Germany. I will always move between Turkey and Germany – somewhere in the middle, sometimes more here, sometimes more there – without committing myself definitively. My passports reflect this.

     

    [1] „Turkish“ in this context does not refer to ethnicity or nationality, but citizenship.

     

    This article was also published in German

  • The climate crisis – who is responsible?

    While the climate crisis in Germany is mainly felt through temperature fluctuations, the consequences in countries of the Global South are much more grave.

    Climate consequences in the Global South

    Desertification in the Sahel region intensifies. This leads to droughts as well as to small island states, such as the Maldives, sinking continuously because of rising sea levels. In East Africa, for example in Sudan, Eritrea or Somalia, droughts are a major problem. Since most people live from agriculture, droughts regularly lead to famine.

    People in Asian countries are increasingly suffering from greater water scarcity due to the melting of the Himalayas. Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia will be the worst affected by climate-related weather changes, according to Germanwatch’s assessment.

    Already, the increase in storms and typhoons claims thousands of lives every year. Climate consequences have a direct impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the world. However, these impacts do not affect all people equally; there is a clear south-north divide. While we in Germany are largely only dealing with climatic changes, climate consequences are already claiming lives in the global South.

    The problem: Nations that are most affected by the consequences of climate change have historically contributed the least to the climate crisis. Moreover, they are predominantly poor countries, and therefore less able to adapt to the climate crisis.

    The main responsible parties

     Industrialisation marked the beginning of mass emission of greenhouse gases. The limitations previously imposed by the sun, biomass, wind, and water as the sole energy sources were suddenly removed by the use of fossil fuels. Since the Great Acceleration at the beginning of the 20th century resource consumption has risen sharply. Just from 1970 to today, energy consumption has quadrupled.

    The main responsible parties: almost exclusively Europe and the USA. Europe’s climate debt, i.e., its contribution to the accumulation of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂), is estimated at 110 gigatonnes, or 30 per cent of the total accumulation. This is more than twice the contribution to the total accumulation of Africa or South America.

    If we want to avoid warming the atmosphere by more than 2 °C, we must not emit more than around 2,200 billion tonnes of CO₂ between 1800 and 2050. As things stand, about 1,200 billion tonnes of CO₂ have already been emitted. The lion’s share of around 860 billion tonnes of CO₂ was emitted by industrialised countries by 2008. It is twice as much as they would actually be entitled to according to historically fair distribution. Even if the Western countries could reduce their emissions to zero with immediate effect, they would no longer be able to account for the historical climate debt. This has serious consequences for the ecosystem and for people’s livelihoods.

    The increase in the Earth’s mean temperature affects all areas of life, such as ecology, agronomy, economy, health and socio-culture. Since all sectors are inextricably linked, changes in one sector can lead to a so-called „domino effect“. For example, crop failures or food insecurity can lead to mass migration movements and epidemics. Therefore, if one takes a look at historical emissions since the beginning of industrialisation, a clear climate debt can be identified.

    A question of money, sex, socio-economical status and race

    The distribution of climate consequences is not just divided in North and South, but also in poor and rich. Looking at the total sum of all emissions, it turns out that the top 10 per cent are responsible for 45 per cent of all emissions. The bottom 50 per cent, however, are responsible for only 13 per cent of global emissions.

    The average per capita emissions of the poorest countries in the world, such as Niger, Somalia or the Central African Republic, are 140 times smaller than the average per capita emissions in Germany. In addition, the German government is better suited to adapt to the climate crisis, for example by investing in new technologies. After all, those who have sufficient financial resources can better protect themselves against the effects of climate change. This applies not only to governments, but also to different population groups within society.

    When Hurricane Katarina hit the state of New Orleans in autumn 2015, poorer neighbourhoods where predominantly African-Americans live were especially affected. The neighbourhoods were very poorly equipped against the floods. In addition, many residents did not own a car, which made it difficult for them to get to safety.

    Not only socio-economic background or ethnicity influence how well one can adapt to climatic changes, but also gender. Women die much more frequently in natural disasters than men due to gender-specific behavioural norms and unequal distribution of resources. For example, they are less likely to be able to swim or to have access to transport. Categories such as gender, socio-economic status, race, age and disability have a major impact on adaptation. Already existing social inequalities are increasingly reinforced by the climate crisis.

    The presumed other

    German climate discourse mostly blocks out capitalist and colonialst structures. Yet  Postcolonial approaches are important, since they make visible processes and structures that have their origin in European colonialisation under which colonialised countries suffer to this day.

    One of these concepts is Othering, which was developed by Eward Said. This concept can be inherently embedded in postcolonial contexts. Nature is conceptualised as the radically „other“ for this purpose. It is excluded from the human sphere and denied any agency. This devaluation of humanity can be understood as the basis and legitimisation of the almost limitless possession, exploitation and plundering of nature since colonial times. By presenting nature only as a setting for human activity and as a resource to be exploited, while at the same time characterising it as wild, untouched and uncultivated, Europe is elevated to a rationally thinking and acting conqueror whose destiny is to dominate or tame nature.

    Nature outside of Europa is considered to be wild, exotic, untouched and desolate. The people living there are looked at as uncivilised, wild, primitive and bestial. This discourse served and still serves to justify exploitation, slavery and even the genocide of indigenous communities. Exploitation during colonialism made today’s industrial capitalism possible. The exploitation of natural resources was used to drive technological progress in Western industrialised countries and to expand prosperity. This exploitation continues to this day.

    The majority of goods such as cloths or electronic devices that we purchase in the North are produced in the Global South. Precisely here, the working conditions are very bad for the people and the environment. We benefit from the low prices while people’s living conditions deteriorate.

    Fighting climate crisis

    When it comes to combating climate crisis, many different aspects must be taken into account: from historical climate debt to colonial times to the socio-economic background of individuals. For those who have sufficient access to income, property, work, mobility, technologies, credit and political decision-making processes can also better protect themselves against the impacts of climate change.

     When talking about climate change, we must therefore also always automatically talk about climate justice if we want to keep the gap between the Global North and the Global South from widening. Europe, as well as other industrialised countries, has more responsibility. And not only because they are among the main causes of the climate crisis, but also because they have the necessary wealth to effectively counteract it.
    Climate (in)justice – although climate change is a global phenomenon, the effects vary greatly in different regions.

     

     

    This article was also published in German

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