ANNOUNCEMENT


Worship with us @ Mountain of Fire Miracles Ministries, Budapest, Hungary Address: 1081 Bp II János Pál Pápa tér 2 (formerly Köztársaság tér) Direction: From Blaha, take tram 28, 28A, 37, 37A, 62...1 stop. From the traffic light cross to the other side... Or take Metro 4 & get off @ János Pál Pápa tér
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Saturday 23 January 2016

OPINION/IMMIGRATION


Germany: The trouble with being good
Markus Ziener

Image result for germany flagIn Cologne on New Year's Eve there was no terrorist attack and no one got killed. But the massive assaults on women by a huge crowd with many asylum seekers has sent a nation into shock. The shock is multi-dimensional and deep: Germans are rubbing their eyes about a helpless police that was incapable to upholding the law. They are shocked about the criminal behavior of people Germany had welcomed and opened the doors for. But most of all: Germany is wondering about the values the country stands for - and whether they can be defended.


That's why Cologne signals much more than a mere violation of law. Cologne has the potential to open dangerous flood gates. For years or even decades Germany has established a code how to deal with nationalism. With rare exceptions all political parties and leaders had formed a united front when antisemitism, nazism or xenophobia were on the rise. This created a solid firewall against a return of the ghosts of the Third Reich. At the same time this unity made it next to impossible to call certain policies into question - for instance, whether Germany should actively participate in wars, whether Germany is permitted to criticize Israel - or how Germany should deal with refugees knocking on the door. With the backdrop of Germany's history the answers were clear: No wars. Israel stays sacrosanct. Foreigners are welcome - no matter what. Whoever tried to challenge those positions had to be prepared to be labelled right-wing.

Now, after Cologne, this ring of defense has collapsed. Not only are national-minded Germans speaking out against the refugee policy of the Chancellor, but now it is the moderate, tolerant middle-class that gets confused, angry and articulate. They are exactly the people Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) always could count on in elections. But now they have difficulty understanding the Merkel strategy. They are afraid that the uncontrolled inflow of foreigners mainly from the Middle East and the Maghreb countries is fundamentally changing the German society. They see a clash of cultures in the making.

Why did it take the events of New Year's Eve to ignite this fire? Because seemingly there was an attitude prevailing at the police department in Cologne - and probably also at the regional ministry of interior - that deemed it politically incorrect to blame refugees. But the truth is: Not talking about the negatives that are associated with the one million refugees that came into Germany in 2015 is making the political right stronger, not weaker. The self- proclaimed patriots can claim to be the only ones telling the truth. Unfortunately, the events in Cologne add grist to the mill.

Generations of Germans after the war have never learned to self-consciously talk about or even defend their country, their achievements and values. To the contrary: Germans exercised tolerance verging on self-denial. Only a few years back even displaying the German colors was considered fascist. Now, challenged by refugees of whom many don't care much about the values of their host country, they are supposed to rigidly demand rules. The problem: They simply can't. They never were supposed to. And they think that doing this is behaving like a Nazi.

Angela Merkel, in a passionate speech at a recent party convention she once again tried to convince the skeptics within the CDU that there is no alternative to her policy. She made clear that shutting down Germanys borders would not only produce a human catastrophe. She told party members that the whole European project is at stake if Germany ceased solidarity.


Merkel only tepidly addressed something at least equally important: That refugees are only welcome if they play by the rules; that they have to accept the norms and standards of their hosts. And if they don't - they are out. And she should encourage Germans to be steadfast in asserting that it is not fascist to tell asylum seekers what is right - and what is wrong. Merkel seems not to understand that by downplaying the troubles, she is about to destroy the good that has been done last year under her leadership. Even more: By ignoring this cultural debate she is leaving the field wide open for those who are true right wing nationalists.

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Editor's Mail

Love the article on Gaddafi
We must rise above tribalism & divide & rule of the colonialist who stole & looted our treasure & planted their puppets to lord it over us..they alone can decide on whosoever is performing & the one that is corrupt..but the most corrupt nations are the western countries that plunder the resources of other nations & make them poorer & aid the rulers to steal & keep such ill gotten wealth in their country..yemen,syria etc have killed more than gadhafi but its not A̷̷̴ good investment for the west(this is laughable)because oil is not in these countries..when obasanjo annihilated the odi people in rivers state, they looked away because its in their favour & interest..one day! Samosa Iyoha

Hello from
Johannesburg
I was amazed to find a website for Africans in Hungary.
Looks like you have quite a community there. Here in SA we have some three million Zimbabweans living in exile and not much sign of going home ... but in Hungary??? Hope to meet you on one of my trips to Europe; was in Steirmark Austria near the Hungarian border earlier this month. Every good wish for 2011. Geoff in Jo'burg

I'm impressed by
ANH work but...
Interesting interview...
I think from what have been said, the Nigerian embassy here seem to be more concern about its nationals than we are for ourselves. Our complete disregard for the laws of Hungary isn't going to help Nigeria's image or going to promote what the Embassy is trying to showcase. So if the journalists could zoom-in more focus on Nigerians living, working and studying here in Hungary than scrutinizing the embassy and its every move, i think it would be of tremendous help to the embassy serving its nationals better and create more awareness about where we live . Taking the issues of illicit drugs and forged documents as typical examples.. there are so many cases of Nigerians been involved. But i am yet to read of it in e.news. So i think if only you and your journalists could write more about it and follow up on the stories i think it will make our nationals more aware of what to expect. I wouldn't say i am not impressed with your work but you need to be more of a two way street rather than a one way street . Keep up the good work... Sylvia

My comment to the interview with his excellency Mr. Adedotun Adenrele Adepoju CDA a.i--

He is an intelligent man. He spoke well on the issues! Thanks to Mr Hakeem Babalola for the interview it contains some expedient information.. B.Ayo Adams click to read editor's mail
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