Last week a work group on “Antisemitism in the immigration society” met for the third time.  The group is currently working on a brochure which will present the issue as well as case studies of projects fighting new forms of antisemitism.


Even choosing an appropriate name for the project has proven a complicated issue and shows just how complex the whole topic is. How do you refer to antisemitism in the Muslim immigrant community without encouraging Islamophobia and racism? The title could also strengthen the distorted picture of Muslims as a homogenous group in the public perception. Moreover, when they talk about “immigrants”, most people think exclusively of men, not women. In the end, the work group agreed on the title “New forms of antisemitism in the immigration society”.

The participants of the work group come from all over Germany, among them are representatives of the ZDK (Center for a Democratic Culture), the Jewish Museum Berlin, the Institute for the Education of Teachers and School Development (Hamburg), the University of Erfurt, the Kreuzberg Initiative against Antisemitism, the Anne Frank Center – to name but a few. All participants bring along theoretical knowledge of the field as well as practical experience. As a result, the brochure will include theoretical texts, practical examples, and hands-on advice for people who seek to deal with the problem in their own community. Participants are aware of the fact that the complexity of the issue may generate an unwillingness to deal with it. The work group aims at helping people to get past their fears: the brochure shows that there are many different ways of dealing with the topic in the communities. You don’t have to be an expert in the field in order to deal with the problem - every person can make use of his or her own possibilities.

The participants discussed the various forms of antisemitism among people with an immigration background. These forms are mostly general verbal attacks on Jews, Israel and the USA. These are portrayed as perpetrators and war mongers who aim at annihilating the Palestinians in particular, and Arabs and Muslims in general. The “aggressors” are portrayed as all-powerful and the “victims” as politically powerless. In this context, radical Islamic organizations are glorified as heroes fighting for the just cause.

Young people with an immigration background, particularly Muslims, often identify with the group of the victims and the oppressed. In their mind there is a clear connection between their own experiences of being marginalized by mainstream German society and the “oppression in the Arab world”. A considerable number of Muslims living in Germany project their anger and frustration at being marginalized onto the Middle East conflict, identifying with “the oppressed”. The identification with other Muslims and Arabs gives them a feeling of belonging – a feeling that they lack in German society. Political views become a criterion of loyalty towards this imaginary community, while conflicts within the community are avoided.

A good model for dealing with antisemitism is the “Kreuzberg Initiative against Anti-Semitism”. Aycan Demirel presents a newly-developed board game that is a role-play activity at the same time: the players, guided by teachers, play the roles of people involved in the Middle East conflict. Through the game the youngsters get the chance to see the conflict from a different perspective and to reflect on and discuss their views on the conflict. This can help to get the youths to and to generate doubt about their ideological attitudes. Aycan Demirel has reported that the game appeals to young people. It often makes them aware of the fact that they actually don’t know as much about the conflict as they thought they did. The game shows that people use the Middle East conflict as a projection surface for open questions about their own identity and background.

“For many youngsters antisemitism offers an easy way out and an easy answer for many questions”, says Koray Yilmaz-Günay of the project “Amira”, which is based in the Berlin district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and - in cooperation with social workers - develops strategies to combat new forms of antisemitism.

Ufuk Topkara works as a Turkish speaking guide at the Jewish Museum Berlin. He explains that before he can actually start with his tours, he has to gain the trust of the youngsters. At first, he tells them about himself: he is a Muslim with an immigration background. In this way he has managed to reach visitors and in some cases has even helped change some of their preconceptions. In many cases he is not trying to change visitors’ attitudes as a whole, but to raise questions and generate doubt and reflection. On the whole it seems that the success of many of the projects lies in their careful handling of the situation, taking one step at a time. More information can be found in the brochure published in autumn 2008.


Stella Hindemith

You want to make a change by supporting young and committed initiatives to stand against racism and neo-Nazism? Why not make a donation to the Amadeu Antonio Foundation?