I am not exaggerating: Not only does the durability of peace but also the future of democracy in Europe depend on the way in which immigrants are treated by their host countries.
Racism, discrimination and right-wing violence may now appear to be directed at immigrants, but they will, in the end, destroy European civilization as we know it. Racists and those who are silent and complacent in the face of racism cannot cleanse Europe from immigrants without destroying Europe's democratic civilization. What is at stake, thus, is not only the life and welfare of immigrants in Europe but the very values Europe claims to uphold.
Some two months ago a link between the murders of nine immigrants, eight of them Turks, between 2000 and 2006 and the neo-Nazi National Socialist Underground (NSU) came to light. The disclosures disturbed many, especially when alleged links were established between the neo-Nazi NSU and German intelligence units. With such shocking allegations in mind, I wondered how Turks in Germany felt. They must have felt vulnerable, unprotected and abandoned.
Last week I got my answers from research conducted by Dr. Murat Erdoğan from Hacettepe University's Center for Immigration and Politics. The research, titled “Racist neo-Nazi murders in Germany: Opinions and Feelings of Turks,” provided very valuable information for anyone interested in the way in which Turks living in Germany react to neo-Nazi violence, the German state, and the German people. In a nutshell, the Turks in Germany think that the neo-Nazi murderers were protected or tolerated by German authorities.
For the Turks, who were invited to Germany as “guest workers” by the state itself 50 years ago, this is a shocking end. Did the state that invited them 50 years ago conspire with the neo-Nazi gangs to kill their compatriots? This in itself is unimaginable. Yet the research, based on an empirical survey among Turkish immigrants by Dr. Erdoğan, shows that the trust between Turks in Germany and the German state has been broken.
It displays that the prevailing feeling is one of sorrow (74 percent), while 12 percent feel anger and only 8 percent sense “fear.” The racist murders seem to prompt not fear but rage. What is alarming for the “host country” is the perception among immigrant Turks that the “German state supported or protected the neo-Nazi murderers.” This perception stands at 66 percent among the Turks of Germany, while 21 percent do not see such support and protection on the part of the German state. This is really worrisome. It points not to the anger or fear but to the sense of insecurity among immigrants, whose murderers are linked to the state that is supposed to protect them.
Maybe the most critical question of the survey is whether the Turks are considering leaving Germany and returning to Turkey due to such racist killings. It is really interesting to see that 77 percent of Turks do not consider this as an option. They demonstrate their determination to continue to live in Germany. If the objective of the neo-Nazis targeting the Turks is to intimidate, terrorize and thus force them to leave Germany, it is clear that they will not reach their objective.
Those who say they will return to Turkey number only 9 percent. This means Turks living there have become a permanent feature of Germany after all.
Despite the fact than an overwhelming majority of Turks there is suspicious of the German state when it comes to the neo-Nazi connection, the Turks still seek shelter under the roof of the German state. This is still good news. But in return, the German state owes these people one single and simple thing: security, the most basic function and responsibility of a state.
You may remember that, after the new discoveries about the murders, the Bundestag expressed shame and regret, and issued an apology. Dr. Erdoğan's research also asks Turks about this apology to understand their reaction. The majority of the Turks interviewed did not find the apology sincere (58 percent). This is understandable given their perception that the state did not protect them or properly investigate the racist murders.
The lack of trust among Turkish immigrants is discernible. Sixty-two percent think the apology is part of a cover-up, while 70 percent do not see this as a sign of regret. Those who believe German politicians regret the events and are trying to find a solution stand at a mere 35 percent. Trust has been lost.
This is important, especially given the fact that 66 percent expect the racist killings to continue. So they think that they will be targeted and sense that they cannot trust the state that is supposed to protect them. What is promising, though, is the separation between the Germans as a whole and the racists. Sixty-eight percent of the Turks think that racist attacks are the doing of a marginal group. So while there is a deep crisis of trust between the German state and Turkish immigrants, there is still room to mend the problem as the Turks in Germany still disassociate the German people from the racists.
In sum, unless immigrants feel safe, social peace, harmony, integration and the long-term sustainability of democracy cannot be secured in Europe.
No comments:
Post a Comment