Thank you we all december seventh. Want to shape the continents future. Youngsters as they share their stories their dreams and their challenges. Seven percent. Platform. And womens rights and not contradictory says. She is the editor of the multicultural womens magazine goes out the author of various books on islam and is our guest today thank you for being here. Lets start without. Many germans believe that muslim women are eclipsed and oppressed in society as
a feminist do you agree with order. This is a reality and thats why i wrote a book about women called muslim girls ten years ago about a multifaceted reality for women in germany who have different ethnic and cultural backgrounds and of course there are many women unfortunately often muslim women who really are oppressed. But there are many who have managed to go their own way and have fought their way out of difficult circumstances so its hard to say that muslim women per se are oppressed. At. One controversial subjects or symbol perhaps is the headscarf some people in Mainstream Society think that women who wear a headscarf are more radical in religious terms than those who dont. Really is this true. On all of them just as well many from the first. And
second generation wore them more for traditional reasons and there was an association that they were peasants or had lower qualifications or might even be illiterate. So there was this idea that if a woman wasnt very educated she would wear a headscarf. But now there are women here who wear head scarves although they went to school here went to university graduates. So the old idea of the headscarf has changed and also the easygoing idea that the headscarf as a Fashion Accessory think of grace kelly ordering hepburn for example. After the islamic headscarf is a pure product of patra and its linked to dress code. So women who wear a headscarf for religious reasons probably cannot understand why some would wear it for reasons of fashion. They arent flexible enough to wear one from time to
time nor will they show their shoulders or wear short skirts or. And this is problematic because were talking about a dress code that emancipated women would probably not adopt for themselves. And were not as easy as guns or you visibly decided not to wear a headscarf your considered a modern woman how did you come to this decision in leaving the rules governing that one has to be careful about making assumptions about women who dont Wear Headscarves they too can be reactionary have one sided views be racist or massage an estate. There are many women in reactionary a neo fascist movements in the Turkish Ultra Nationalist Gray Wolves organization there are many women who dont Wear Headscarves so one has to be very careful there are also many women who do wear a headscarf who were very open who accepted if their children tell. The mayor gayle
the sisters say they going out with a non muslim this is also a reality. But there is a problem with the fact that most women who represent Islam In Public tend to Wear Headscarves and not be critical so theres a need for much more differentiation. Personally i chose not to wear a headscarf very early on i saw that the quran didnt call for it and as a feminist i wouldnt accept a dress code because i really believe women should be allowed to wear what they want. Im. Just. Since im also interested in fashion i wouldnt want to be restricted. Zone talk youre the daughter of moroccan immigrants what was it like at home by your parents very strict very religious very conservative but you run a family id say my family is conservative because tradition is very important for them for my parents especially my mother it was always important that i knew what
my roots were every sunday i had to learn the quran by heart like all children he usually go to quran school and so i had a very traditional religious education. But my family and parents are also very tolerant and accepting and in the end their love for their children to me in this case one. In five. There wasnt any dogma about what a girl can and cant do. Of course this had an influence on me. Conservative doesnt necessarily mean reactionary and narrow minded. Burdens are you saying that your tolerant family could serve as an example for other muslim families in germany was leadership from meeting important to the front line and yes in many ways i find my parents incredibly inspiring. I was able to discuss all kinds of religious questions with my father to feel way. Wanted me to ask questions and engage in
discussion when im with for my mother too it was very important for me to become an independent woman she never went to school shes a literate she always supported me and my mother is very open minded at first glance she might not appear to be so with her limited skill set up but i really appreciate that in her and i would like my mother to be an inspiration for others to within my family and she has been an inspiration in the sense that other women have educated their daughters with more freedom. And the fallen enough and. I hope. Youre also a feminist and proud of it what brought you to feminism did something or someone especially influence you. When ive just mentioned my mother and i think that she unconsciously laid the First Foundation stone and of course my drive for freedom is an important aspect without feminism without the Womens Movement this wouldnt
have been possible. Early on i read feminist literature i read emma regularly for instance i always got it out of the library which doesnt mean i agreed with everything sometimes i was very confused for example when muslim women were perceived as lacking something whereas i knew from my family from my experiences in morocco in my environment that there were also muslim women who lacked nothing. Of being muslim and independent and not necessarily contradictory but of course in some societies it means having to face more resistance than are by them as i mentioned also talk about muslim men yes there have been many cases of Sexual Violence against women in germany some politicians have spoken of young testosterone driven muslim men. Youve also written about such men in one of your books i mean can these men in. Towards what it means to respect women libeling us
as highest respect for the i would have thought that when actually archy is very present then men and their image of women can also be very problematic can they learn yes i believe very strongly that some men can change the image of women of patchy arche. Because many themselves suffer from patrick or structures whats needed a new spaces where men can talk about these issues theres a project in germany called heroes where men can talk about things such as on or about the tree arkell structures and admit their weaknesses as it were they also need protected spaces just as women do. What is. The good and the german islam conference is taking place for the fourth time next week youve been invited in the past what is it about. Because i must admit that nothings ever really stuck with mame ive never had an epiphany with regard to
this conference. Because our conference certainly has triggered many initiatives there are now theology departments way islam is being taught and studied and reinterpreted there are people interpret in the quran from the perspective of gender and equality and thats made a difference that. Islam is now being taught in schools as well the discussion about Islam In Germany has changed and many more muslims are being involved in the debate but. There are also more muslims who can be involved. But then it was not only these are conservative associations exactly there are many people who say that they represent islam but they basically represent themselves and very few muslims in germany and then on the other hand there are people who criticize islam and then there are many muslim women and men who are following their own path. Recently
a new association for Secular Muslims was set up theres a lot happening and much of this is thanks to the islam conference. Confident that our wouldnt you say that this much debated german form of islam is a model for the future for example more tolerant and equal life there is a congregation in berlin which practices this form of islam is this the way forward as of. Yet its just their view. Thats whats interesting is that as long as they have been muslims living in germany theres been a form of german islam perhaps with a turkish influence or a moroccan one or a cell or first one. All of this is german islam. We muslims in germany are going to have to develop a form of islam on the basis of the german basic law that supports the values of freedom and humanism i hope that one is the about all these can of course be drawn
from the quran and tradition. But its going to be a tough process because of course the old and new Power Structures will clash. With but thats not. The traditional islamic associations are going to have to fight for their power and they might not have the same power in ten or fifteen years as they currently have. Some. We always in the d. W. Interview with three sentences that we ask our guests to complete them and thats then if the integration of muslims in germany is to be successful then. We have to be much more selfcritical on both sides and on the side of the socalled migrants we should perhaps not use our own grievances as a yardstick for action but be more willing to criticize ourselves. Then door to german scared of the Country Being Islami Fide because of muslim
immigrants i would say. That we are taking a Deep Breath Look at the facts and get involved. Im looking forward to christmas because the city is a so beautifully lit up then and it always reminds me of my wonderful Summer Holidays in morocco i like the season because its lovely. Socks thank you senator. Thank you. Climate change. Waste. Pollution. Isnt it time for good. Eco africa people and projects that are changing our environment for the better its up to us to make a difference lets inspire each other. Going to be