a feminist do you agree with the order. this is a reality and that's 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 it's hard to say that muslim women per se are oppressed. and i'd stay in mind i'd swim 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 don't. really is this true. on all of them just as a piece of well many from the fur. 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 wasn't 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 or dree hepburn for example. after the islamic headscarf is a pure product of patra and it's linked to dress code. so women who wear a head scarf for religious reasons probably cannot understand why some would wear it for reasons of fashion. they aren't flexible enough to wear one from time to time nor will they show their shoulders or wear short skirts. and this is problematic because we're talking about a dress code that emancipated women would probably not adopt for themselves. and remember these if those of you visibly decided not to wear a headscarf your considered a modern woman how did you come to this decision. in leaving because i was going to think one has to be careful about making assumptions about women who don't wear headscarves they too can be reactionary have one sided views being racist almost such an estate. there are many women in reactionary and neo fascist movements in the turkish ultra nationalist gray wolves organization there are many women who don't 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 them they're gay all 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 there's a need for much more differentiation. personally i chose not to wear a headscarf very early on i saw that the qur'an didn't call for it and as a feminist i wouldn't accept a dress code because i really believe women should be allowed to wear what they want and. i'm. just. since i'm also interested in fashion i wouldn't want to be restricted. zimm talk you're the daughter of moroccan immigrants what was it like at home by your parents very strict very religious very conservative you. run a farm i'd say my family is conservative because tradition is very important for them from my parents especially my mother it was always important that i knew what my roots were with every sunday i had to learn the qur'an by heart like all children who usually go to qur'an 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 wasn't any dogma about what a girl can and can't do. of course this had an influence on me. a conservative doesn't necessarily mean reactionary and narrow minded. urgencies are you saying that your tolerant family could serve as an example for other muslim families in germany was leadership from meeting in georgia different men and yes in many ways i find my parents incredibly inspiring and. i was able to discuss all kinds of religious questions with my father a few. ways wanted me to ask questions and engage in discussion when i'm with that for my mother too it was very important for me to become an independent woman she never went to school which is 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 ups but i really appreciate that in her and i would like my mother to be an inspiration for others to within my family as 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 . you're also a feminist and proud of it what brought you to feminism did something or someone especially influenced you. when i've 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 women's movement this wouldn't have been possible. early on i read feminist literature i read emma regularly for instance i always got it out of the library which doesn't 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 they were also muslim women who lacked nothing. being muslim an independent and not necessarily contradictory but of course in some societies it means having to face more resistance by a muslim we should also talk about muslim man yes there have been many cases of sexual violence against women in germany some politicians have spoken of young testosterone driven muslim men. you've also written about such men in one of your books. can these men. even be taught what it means to respect women by putting us as high as respect for follow through on the i would have thought that when it 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 their image of women of patchi arche. because many themselves suffer from patrick or structures what's needed a new spaces where men can talk about these issues there's a project in germany called heroes where men can talk about things such as on or about patrick michael structures and admit their weaknesses as it were they also need protected spaces just as women do. that white is one of the looks like. to get into the german islam conference is taking place for the fourth time next week you've been invited in the past what is it about. because i must admit that nothing's ever really stuck with mame i've never had an epiphany with regard to this conference. is our conference and it 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 qur'an from the perspective of gender and equality and that's made a difference. but 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 there 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. often i mean an apartment recently a new association for secular muslims was set up there's a lot happening and much of this is thanks to the islam conference. after islam confident about wouldn't you say that this much debated german form of islam is a model for the future for example more tolerant and equal there is a congregation in berlin which practice is this a form of islam is this the way forward is of. it's just there be imogen's or what's interesting is that as long as they have been muslims living in germany there's 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. humanism i hope that all these can of course be drawn from the qur'an and tradition. but it's going to be a tough process because of course the old and new power structures will clash. with . 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. so. we always end the d.w. interview with three sentences that we ask our guests to complete them and that's a few of them then if the integration of muslims in germany is to be successful then. we have to be much more self-critical on both sides and on the side of the so-called migrants we should perhaps not use our own grievances as a yardstick for action but be more willing to criticise ourselves. to solve. the indoor to german scared of the country being islami fide because of muslim immigrants i would say. at take a deep breath look at the facts and get involved. i'm looking forward to christmas because this 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 it's lovely well it's true and thank you so much for the way thank you you thank. sleep. carefully. don't seem. to get. much. discoverable. subscribe to the documentary to. my my. my .