Berlin has a long standing experience of sheltering in one location, different ideological or cultural groups. From post-War occupation to decades of representing a microcosm of the Cold War itself ,to being the hub of both government institutions and a vibrant hard left artist scene in more recent years. In the first post-war decade, Berlin…
The German government has decided it is time to change its approach of the threat of Islamism. In late April, the congressional faction of the conservative leading party, the Christian Democratic Union’s (CDU’s) unanimously adopted a position paper entitled “Preserving a free society, promoting social cohesion, and combating political Islamism”. Their main goal is to…
At the beginning of May, Germany’s most renowned living philosopher, Jürgen Habermas, was named the recipient of the United Arab Emirates’ Sheikh Zayed Book Award, making Habermas the cultural personality of the year. After initially accepting the award, Habermas swiftly reversed his decision and ultimately rejected the honour – along with the award’s cheque for EUR…
“The European Commission funds several associations that are considered Islamist by the German government or the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutz). Although officials [of these associations] have garnered attention because of their anti-Semitic statements, EU funds continue to flow” (source). That was the opening claim of Welt journalist, Frederik Schindler, in a…
In recent weeks, the debate on identity politics has flared up in Germany. The former vice-president of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Wolfgang Thierse, published a contribution in the widely circulated Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) in late February, entitled “How Much Identity Can a Society Withstand?” in which he criticized the increasingly entrenched nature of…
