I have been behind on the news and scantily voicing my opinion about certain events because of an impending book deadline. But there is one case a Currents reader mentioned, which certainly deserves to be brought up here.
Marwa Sherbini was a pregnant, 32 year-old Egyptian, Muslim mother of a three year-old boy, who lived in the eastern German city of Dresden. She was in court last week to testify against her neighbor, Alex W., who had been verbally harrassing her and calling her a Muslim terrorist and other racist and Islamaphobic slurs.
Now this is hard to believe, but in a Dresden courtroom, the very one in which Sherbini would testify against her neighbor, he managed to stab her eighteen times and kill her. Eighteen times. . . in a courtroom. To make matters worse, a security guard fired one shot and wounded Sherbini's husband, who had come to his wife's aid.
All of this was witnessed by the couple's three year-old son.
The Egyptian and some western media have noticed that this story didn't get nearly as much attention as a westerner's murder in Egypt would have.
But why else was this story not so big? Is it because it just happens too often in Germany? Has violence against foreigners simply become too commonplace, especially in eastern cities like Dresden? Would there have been more press coverage if it had happened in Cologne or the trendy capital of Berlin? Or is it simply too shameful for Germany?
The case is sad but no longer surprising, I must admit. A few posts down, I mention violence against foreigners in Germany as frequent and it has affected all of us foreigners here directly and indirectly.
Some say Sherbini was targeted because she wore a headscarf. So then what? Should Muslim women stop wearing headscarves to protect themselves? If people have to start going "underground" so they won't be prosecuted for their religious beliefs, then Germany would be returning to an ugly chapter in its history.
7/14/2009
7/12/2009
Unleashing the Bigots
I have yet to see Brüno but I did laugh (and cringe) when I saw Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat, his first insert-your-own-foot-in-mouth satirical documentary.
As the reviews and complaints come in for Brüno, I start to question Cohen's motives. The shocking entertainment factor is obvious but then what? What comes after he has unleashed the racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic in people?
This is what I asked myself as I watched the clip below, in which he gets a group of cowboy hat-wearing Arizonians to sing along with him,"Throw the Jew Down the Well."
If you watch closely, you'll see that there are some who are reluctant to sing along. You sense that an inner morality makes a brave appearance and reveals itself in a few frowns or upturned eyebrows or simple refusal to sing along.
But within one refrain, Cohen (as Borat) has strung almost all of them along. They are cheering, clapping and even putting up fake horns on their heads.
My first reaction to this clip was, "No way. I can't believe it." But my second reaction, a moment later, was, "Is it good to rile people up like this? Bring out the worst in them simply because he can?"
Don't get me wrong, I am in no way defending these people. I still can't believe not one person stood up and protested. But I also wonder if bringing out all that venom, putting it on You Tube and letting it fester, is somehow not just as troublesome?
As the reviews and complaints come in for Brüno, I start to question Cohen's motives. The shocking entertainment factor is obvious but then what? What comes after he has unleashed the racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic in people?
This is what I asked myself as I watched the clip below, in which he gets a group of cowboy hat-wearing Arizonians to sing along with him,"Throw the Jew Down the Well."
If you watch closely, you'll see that there are some who are reluctant to sing along. You sense that an inner morality makes a brave appearance and reveals itself in a few frowns or upturned eyebrows or simple refusal to sing along.
But within one refrain, Cohen (as Borat) has strung almost all of them along. They are cheering, clapping and even putting up fake horns on their heads.
My first reaction to this clip was, "No way. I can't believe it." But my second reaction, a moment later, was, "Is it good to rile people up like this? Bring out the worst in them simply because he can?"
Don't get me wrong, I am in no way defending these people. I still can't believe not one person stood up and protested. But I also wonder if bringing out all that venom, putting it on You Tube and letting it fester, is somehow not just as troublesome?
7/06/2009
Service as a Second Language
Over the past few years it has become apparent that many Berlin salespeople have enrolled in SSL (Service as a Second Language) classes. Ten years ago, a smile, a polite greeting or even a "Thank you," was a lot to ask for when shopping here.
In the past, I've had saleswomen tell me not to unfold sweaters because they, the salespeople would then have to fold them again. I've watched cashiers at the grocery store, after not saying hello, throw my food so fast across the scanner that even a robot couldn't catch them at the other end. I've had salespeople tell me they are closed, 15 minutes before closing time, and say, "No, I am not going to open the register back up. Not even for a regular customer like you."
But times have changed. Sales people have to be trained now. Managers instruct employees, not that the customer is always right (that would be going too far), but that the customer has some rights and should not be abused or ignored without reason.
Even my sister, who was recently visiting from the US, remarked at how friendly the saleswoman in a clothing store was. The saleswoman even looked up from her book when my sister asked, in English, how much a blouse cost. The woman didn't huff and even grinned as she told us the price.
It was almost, almost like being in America, until. . . it was time to pay.
A long line was forming and there were two salespeople behind the counter. One worked diligently while the other, the woman who had helped us, stood by idly. When I caught her eye, she said, "I would ring up, but I'm just too hot. I can't concentrate in weather like this."
Just for one moment, I thought I'd been lost. But I found my way back to Berlin in no time at all.
In the past, I've had saleswomen tell me not to unfold sweaters because they, the salespeople would then have to fold them again. I've watched cashiers at the grocery store, after not saying hello, throw my food so fast across the scanner that even a robot couldn't catch them at the other end. I've had salespeople tell me they are closed, 15 minutes before closing time, and say, "No, I am not going to open the register back up. Not even for a regular customer like you."
But times have changed. Sales people have to be trained now. Managers instruct employees, not that the customer is always right (that would be going too far), but that the customer has some rights and should not be abused or ignored without reason.
Even my sister, who was recently visiting from the US, remarked at how friendly the saleswoman in a clothing store was. The saleswoman even looked up from her book when my sister asked, in English, how much a blouse cost. The woman didn't huff and even grinned as she told us the price.
It was almost, almost like being in America, until. . . it was time to pay.
A long line was forming and there were two salespeople behind the counter. One worked diligently while the other, the woman who had helped us, stood by idly. When I caught her eye, she said, "I would ring up, but I'm just too hot. I can't concentrate in weather like this."
Just for one moment, I thought I'd been lost. But I found my way back to Berlin in no time at all.
7/03/2009
Pina Bausch: Another Legend Gone
I have been posting less because I'm writing a book but I would never forgive myself if I didn't say something about Pina Bausch, THE Tanztheater legend who died two days ago in Wuppertal, Germany where her company was based.
Long before I moved here, I went to see her performances at Brooklyn Academy of Music every year. It wasn't always easy getting a friend to join me because many people couldn't dig her. Too much drama, too pretentious, too something, were often the complaints.
But that is what I loved about Pina Bausch's work, the too much: the exaggeration, the sets (oh the sets! real soil, or rows and rows of real carnations on the stage), the women dancers and their long dresses, their hair flailing about, the men leaping in dress pants, the repetition of movement that triggers new meaning as the piece wears on.
The movement in Pina Bausch's work is difficult to classify, as it differs greatly with each piece. Sometimes the dancing itself is minimal and the choreography is the drama, like in this clip. But sometimes the dancing is downright dynamic and physical, passionate and always painfully human. There are always real people dancing in her pieces, with all of their imperfections and issues, like the rest of us, seeing ourselves on stage.
Pina Bausch will be missed.
Long before I moved here, I went to see her performances at Brooklyn Academy of Music every year. It wasn't always easy getting a friend to join me because many people couldn't dig her. Too much drama, too pretentious, too something, were often the complaints.
But that is what I loved about Pina Bausch's work, the too much: the exaggeration, the sets (oh the sets! real soil, or rows and rows of real carnations on the stage), the women dancers and their long dresses, their hair flailing about, the men leaping in dress pants, the repetition of movement that triggers new meaning as the piece wears on.
The movement in Pina Bausch's work is difficult to classify, as it differs greatly with each piece. Sometimes the dancing itself is minimal and the choreography is the drama, like in this clip. But sometimes the dancing is downright dynamic and physical, passionate and always painfully human. There are always real people dancing in her pieces, with all of their imperfections and issues, like the rest of us, seeing ourselves on stage.
Pina Bausch will be missed.
6/27/2009
Summer No-Go Zones
Recently, as my husband and I made a list of potential vacation destinations for this summer, we noticed another list forming: no-go zones. At least three locations were crossed off our list because we were worried that we could have problems with right-wing extremists.
My first reaction is often "Who is going to bother us?" A naive part of me really believes that skinheads wouldn't target a family with small kids; not to mention that I hate the idea of certain parts of Germany being off limits to us because we're an interracial family.
But then I remembered when Germany hosted the World Cup in 2006. There was an official buzz about "no go zones" in some eastern parts of the country that were considered dangerous for tourists of color.
I understood why the warnings were issued, as violence toward people of color in right-wing extremist strongholds (most of which are in the east) is a reality. In fact, my first trip to a beautiful town outside of Jena was tainted by a well-attended Neo-nazi rally. My eldest son was a baby at the time and slept peacefully in his stroller, despite all the shouting.
I would hate to encounter ugliness like that today with my children in their why stage. Why do they hate us? Why should we go away when we were born here? I'm not sure how I'd answer that. So, for now, I avoid some quaint beach towns along the Baltic Sea or farms in Brandenburg where right extremist violence has been widely reported.
A part of me thinks we're letting the bad guys win by hiding from them and by missing out on areas full of natural beauty and history. But some risks don't seem worth taking.
At least not yet.
Photo: flickr
6/26/2009
Rest in Peace
This clip is how I like to remember Michael Jackson: before all the scary plastic surgery that made him look so freakish, sad and white; before the allegations of inappropriate relations with children, again and again; before the fame and pressure of show business robbed him of his own childhood and his mental health.
Looking at these old clips, I'm still amazed by the choreography, the singing, and the stage presence of Michael and his siblings. But it's also a little sobering to now understand the high cost of all that perfection at a young age.
Nevertheless, for people like me, who grew up with Michael Jackson, our lives have been forever changed and enriched by this gifted person. Undoubtedly a legend.
Looking at these old clips, I'm still amazed by the choreography, the singing, and the stage presence of Michael and his siblings. But it's also a little sobering to now understand the high cost of all that perfection at a young age.
Nevertheless, for people like me, who grew up with Michael Jackson, our lives have been forever changed and enriched by this gifted person. Undoubtedly a legend.
6/24/2009
Burqas at H&M?
I have to admit that when I see a woman standing on a Berlin street corner in a burqa, I have to fight the urge to stare. It is still a startling image in a modern, urban society that is relatively tolerant of many religious and cultural traditions except, er, burqas(and even head scarves).
The first thing that runs through my mind when I see a burqa-clad frau is the Taliban and its horrific treatment of women when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan. I confess that I assume the woman is being oppressed and not protected, as burqa supporters insist.
Nicholas Sarkozy recently put my thoughts into words and came out with it: Burqas make women "prisoners behind a screen." He went so far to say on Monday that burqas are not a sign of religion but subservience. Yes, he went there.
There was a time in Germany when the Muslim headscarf, worn by mostly Turkish Muslim women, was a source of controversy. Should teachers be allowed to teach with headscarves? Should girls be allowed to wear them to school? How far should religious freedom be tolerated in a secular society? These were the questions that came up and are still discussed here.
Initially, I thought there was a clear violation of religious freedom to deny Muslim women the right to wear headscarves. After all, no one was telling German nuns in Bavaria to take off their habits. And no one here would dare tell a Jewish person he's not allowed to wear a yarmulke.
But it eventually became clear to me that the debate went far beneath the headscarf. There were other issues like forced marriages, oppression of girls, even sibling honor killings (one a few blocks from my house), all in the name of religion. Not every Muslim girl who wears a headscarf is subjected to these practices but it does raise the legitimate question of when a secular government is allowed to step into matters of religion; which, should techincally be protected in any democracy.
Thank goodness I'm not a lawmaker, because I'd be stumped on this one. As a woman, I really get a chill when I see a burqa, admittedly because I am viewing it with a western, Christian-ish, liberal viewpoint. I also have very little information about the burqa apart from creepy Taliban news clips and the heartbreaking novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. BUT if a woman is really choosing to wear a burqa, then it can't be constitutional to forbid her to wear one, can it?
Photo: flickr
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
