anders deutsch

I have neglected the English section very much in the last months. But now I got an explicit request for the translation of one German post. The problem is that translation is anything from straightforward. It is much more than just translating the words I have written. To give an idea about the meaning of the post, I have to give some more information and I will try to do so now:

The war in Lebanon seems to be a means through which anti-semitism resurfaces in Germany. Critique is not directed only at the state of Israel but to 'Jews' in general. The 'Jews' in Germany are mistrusted, they are considered to speak for Israel, to be linked more to that state than to Germany. They are taken as responsible for the war.

The reason for writing my German post was that in one German town a local cultural centre wanted to cancel two concerts with 'Jewish' artists arguing that in the current situation one could not stage synagogal songs (one of the concerts was by the way a Jazz concert).

This anti-semitism which is masked as concern about the war seems to gain space in Germany at the moment. This is really scary (and it makes critique at the war more difficult, because one has to position oneself clearly apart from the anti-semitic resentment).

The British government seems to want to introduce a new subject in school: 'British values'. A 'German' newspaper reports that thus they want to prevent migrants of the second to whatever generation drifting into terrorism. Good idea: just increase the othering ever more, tell them that they do not belong, that they are dangerous and they will certainly identifiy with 'British values', whatever these are.

AC Grayling has discussed whose values might be meant.

is the heading of one section in the visa application for Australia. In order to research there for three monhts, I have to answer - amongst others - following questions:

"Have you ... ever:

• been confcted of a crime or offence in any country ...?
• been charged with any offence that is currently awaiting legal action?
...
• been removed or deported from any country ...?
...
• been involved in any activities that would represent a risk to Australian national security?
...
• been involved in any activity, or been convicted of any offence, relating to the illegal movement of people to any country ...?

Besides this I have to specify whether I expect costs due to cancer, HIV/AIDS, etc. - and thus declare whether I am 'healty' or not.

A good exercise to experience as a 'German' how it feels to be confronted personally with the general suspicion against 'foreigners'. It does not feel good.

It is the men's soccer world cup in Germany. All of Germany is coloured in black-red-gold. Almost all. And all are very very happy. About this 'positive' patriotism. Finally, they argue also 'Germany' has found its way to patriotism. Everybody seems to agree. I hardly find anybody who is so utterly disgusted by all this black-red-gold as I am. These are the colours of the 'German nation', they are a national symbol, they represent the 'nation'. 'Nations', however, are not only inclusive, they are by definition also exclusive. By deciding who belongs, it is also defined who does not and thus has only limited rights. 'Nations' are based on exclusion. They are the basis for wars, not only with weapons. I do not like this structuring of the world, and I utterly dislike its national symbols. Especially the flags. Not only black-red-gold, but especially that as I am living in Germany. I thought 'Germans' had learned from their history, and by refusing the celebration of national symbols had gone beyond most other 'nations' in leaving nationalism behind them. But this seems now an illusion. 'We' did not leave it behind us, it was just a taboo and as soon as 'we' can break this, 'we' do it. And then 'we' call it 'positive' patriotism. What is positive about patriotism?

Germany is preparing for the world cup. The German slogan is 'Visiting friends', in English they offer the possibility of making friends. But this possibility will be granted only those who are 'worthy' of this honour and who do not pose a thread of overstretching 'our' hospitality. So the normal restrictive and prohibitive regulations for visa applications apply also now. Every applicant has to proove that he or she will return after the world cup. The most important proove is to have lots of money. So 'we' will make only friends with the more prosporous part of the world, all the others can stay home and watch the tv.

PS: The German embassy in Ghana is supprised to get so few visa applications ....

People, who are considered as others, face the danger of racist violence in Germany. During the world cup many foreign tourists will come, who hardly know Germany. They can become victims of racist violence. Several NGOs and individuals have thus planned a phone helpline for racist attacks: Racism Helpline.

The German constitution forbids the state to withdraw the German citizenship of anybody. This is a consequence of the Nazis withdrawing the citizenship of unwanted 'Germans' such as 'Jews'.

Last week the constitutional court had to decide on the withdrawal of the citizenship of a 'new', ie naturalised, German citizen. He had provided false documents when applying for the citizenhsip. The court has decided that it was constitutional to withdraw the citizenship. It argues that this regulation should only prevent the state of declaring some Germans as unworthy and withdrawing their citizenship.

If one, however, looks at the current discussions about naturalisations and the ever more restrictive regulations than one does get the impression that it is a case of 'unworthy Germans'. Those who want to get the German citizenship are faced with a general distrust.

In the case of the petitioner he had forged documents to proove that he earns enough to support his family. This naturally was illegal. But the question remains why somebody who wants to be naturalised needs to earn enough money to support his family? Especially, if he lives in a racist society where it is very difficult for him to get a job.

The most troublesome part of the ruling is that every naturalised German is threatened with withdrawal in future. The rules for naturalisation open a lot of space of arbitrary state action. We thus now have 'worthy' Germans, who were born as such, and 'unworthy' who were naturalised and must be mistrusted.

'Foreigners' are suspicious. Especially if they are well 'integrated', if they behave unsuspiciously. Thus 'we' need to be on alert. Each of them could be a terrorist, a criminal or something worse.

Suspicious are also racist attacks. So many of them at the moment. First of all 'we' need to be suspicious about the racist nature of the attack. It could well be only a quarrel among drunks or very likely also just a fake to discredit Germany.

is one of the favourite occupation of 'Germans' - at least if it does not concern 'German' women but 'other'. With the upcoming world cup all are concerned about 'forced prostitution'. They want to prevent this with all means. Which at the moment means that there are more raids to find the trafficked women. Instead of them the police finds women who are voluntarily working as sex workers - and who since they do not have documents are deported. Naturally in their own interest.

The researcher Lorreta Ihme analyses how the discourses around 'forced prostitution' do not really care about sex workers threatened by violence. The discourses are rather about the 'other', the danger of mobility for women, etc.

An NGO of Blacks in Germany has published a No Go Guide for Black World Cup tourists. A White politician has referred to this guide in an interview and has warned Black tourist to go to certain places. Now many White politicians are shocked about this. They consider it as a defamation of the regions and consider it counter productive. These Whites just cannot imagine the everyday life of Blacks in Germany. They actively ignore the fact that there are No-Go-Areas. As if this would make them less real.

Update 24.05.06: The No-Go-Guide has so far not been published. And the NGO will not publish it in future either: They argue that the areas change to fast and thus cannot be included in a guide. But they want to publish a catalogue with security advice.