Muhabbet

http://www.zeit.de/online/2008/10/interview-muhabbet

HOW COOL!

Turkish-German popstar Muhabbet met with the Foreign Minister Steinmeier.

Muhabbet works with the majority CDU party to assist with programs to counteract youth violence and to help Migrant families. He believes music is a method of communication and that is has helped youth get out their aggression without being harmful or violent.

"Es wird oft gesagt, dass die Jugend heute keine Zukunft mehr hat. Hier haben wir aber genau das Gegenteil festgestellt. Leider hat sich in unserer Gesellschaft das Vorurteil verfestigt, dass alle Deutschen mit Migrationshintergrund kriminell und asozial sind. Wenn einer von ihnen in der Schule ausflippt, wird das immer gleich verallgemeinert. So etwas ist gefährlich. Von denjenigen, die es durch Leistung zu etwas bringen, spricht dagegen niemand. "

VERY HELPFUL

I found this graphic on Die Zeit newspaper website. It details a survey about the integration of German Turks.
http://www.zeit.de/online/2008/11/bg-deutschtuerkisch?1

Research Proposal

Zwischen Ausländerfeindlichkeit und Integration-

Das Deutschtürkische Leben in Berlin

(Between Xenophobia and Integration- The Life of a Turkish-German in Berlin)

Research Question:

What is the relationship between official state policy on Deutschtürken (their rights, etc.) and the perception among this immigrant community on their place within Berlin/German society, and their life under these policies?

Research Methods:

To understand law and policy:

- Interviews at the Bundestag with Die Linke (The Left Party), SPD (Social Democratic Party)

- Interviews with Turkish politicians in the regional Parliament: Evrim Baba (Berlin HOR, PDS), Dilek Kolat (Berlin HOR, SPD), Özcan Mutlu (Berlin HOR, Grüne), Bilkay Öney (Berlin HOR, Grüne), Ülker Radziwill (Berlin HOR, SPD), Giyasettin Sayan (Berlin HOR, PDS)

- Familiarizing myself with the current debate through German law review articles

- Meetings with Humboldt Law Forum faculty to discuss their perspective on the issue

- Re-reading the German Constitution

- Reading Humboldt University’s (and FUB’s) Anti-discrimination policy

- Discourse with UW faculty and graduate students currently studying Islam in the EU

- Review of German Islam Conference held March 13^th

- An understanding of the debate and policies between Erdogan (Turkey) and Merkel (Germany) concerning assimilation and integration (they have diametrically opposed views on the subject)

To understand the Turkish/Immigrant Perspective:

- Case study with a Turkish family

- Visiting the Turkish markets in Berlin

- Visiting Mosques in Kreuzberg

- Meetings with the head of the Islamic Community in Berlin- Islamic Society in Germany (IGD) and VIKZ (Association of Islamic Cultural Centers)

- Talking with shop owners at Dönerkebaps