Merkel says German multi-cultural society has failed

BERLIN (AFP) – Germany's attempt to create a multi-cultural society has failed completely, Chancellor Angela Merkel said at the weekend, calling on the country's immigrants to learn German and adopt Christian values.

German chancellor Angela Merkel says immigrants without Christian values have no place in her country. Merkel weighed in for the first time in a blistering debate sparked by a central bank board member saying the country was being made "more stupid" by poorly educated and unproductive Muslim migrants.

"Multikulti", the concept that "we are now living side by side and are happy about it," does not work, Merkel told a meeting of younger members of her conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party at Potsdam near Berlin.

"This approach has failed, totally," she said, adding that immigrants should integrate and adopt Germany's culture and values.

"We feel tied to Christian values. Those who don't accept them don't have a place here," said the chancellor.

The integration of Muslims has been a hot button issue since August when a member of Germany's central bank sparked outrage by saying the country was being made "more stupid" by poorly educated and unproductive Muslim migrants with headscarves.

The banker, Thilo Sarrazin, has since resigned but his book on the subject -- "Germany Does Itself In" -- has flown off the shelves, and polls showed considerable sympathy for some of his views.

A recent study by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation think tank showed around one-third of Germans feel the country is being "over-run by foreigners" and the same percentage feel foreigners should be sent home when jobs are scarce.

Nearly 60 percent of the 2,411 people polled thought the around four million Muslims in Germany should have their religious practices "significantly curbed."

 

i was going to post this, but you just beat me to it

they're not playing around over there....first France bans traditional garb, now Jerry is saying speak German.



Guess Muslims are like our Mexican problem

 

so basically they are like the united states!

If you don't drink the kool aid, we don't want you here!

 

Even Germany has Pat Buchanons

kinda sad tho.....i imagine some 'Nazi'-type references, will be made by opposition parties

probably have pictures with the chancellor dressed like Hitler

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20101015/wl_csm/332509_1

and there it is

a rather small percentage but...

those damn Germans

 

No, they are saying assimilate. This issue has been a hot but not to touch button in America for some time. Also it is not only Mexicans but many citizens from other nations as well. ppl are sayin' assimlate or get the fuck out. If someone has stayed in any given country for more than 5 years, they should make an effort to communicate using that country's official language (unless they're elderly, cant read, etc...) Most ppl are not asking for fluency or mastery of the language but an effort to communicate, be it broke or semi broke.
Why should an American employee or employer has to learn a foreign language to accomodate customers? or why should a company pay hefty salary for an interpreter, that is BS. I am for learn other languages and appreciate other cultures (as I speak other langs my self) but you should not be forced to learn any lang other than your own to work in your own back yard, that is a total BS. You dont see me speaking English when I am in France or at the land of the Spaniard, smdh.

 

I do agree with the Spanish bit. How can you live here for so long and no habla English?

I wouldnt be surprised if Spanish became a mandatory requirement for schooling.

 

This is different from what I interpreted. They are saying your religion doesn't agree with mines. It isn't like over here with the language barrier.
Most mexicans are christians.

You need not look any further than obama and religion to understand germany's problem.

 

^I agree with this. I think the point is that people are attracted to certain countries (particularly the U.S.) because of the opportunities that the political infrastructure provides, which is fostered by it's culture. In this case, they're referencing Christian principles.

Personally, I agree with this if the culture said immigrant is leaving is incompatible with the culture you're entering. This does not mean you need to change your religion at all. One of the principles of Western culture is the freedom of religion, however, some 'immigrating cultures' do not believe in tolerance. Hence, if said immigrants do not assimilate to the 'CULTURE' (not the religion) at some point the very foundation on which that country is built will be jeopardized - negating the very reason many people are immigrating to said country in the first place. If you do not agree with the culture and customs, don't immigrate there.

This applies moreso to Europe than the U.S. because most Latin immigrants are Christian and typically share or at least understand the same cultural principles.

An example is that Islamic extremist who was on CNN last week (can someone find the link?)

We have no problems with other religions here, but if you're saying that at some point SHARIA LAW will rule the U.S. and the Muslim flag will fly over the White House as that extremist said on CNN, obviously, you're contradicting the very foundation of this country.

That's what I took out of that article.

(I hope I didn't offend any Muslims on the board, it was just a recent example)

 

Yeah, I think if you're migrating to a different country you should try your best to learn the language, and you should obey their laws and policies even if you're religion doesn't necessarily agree with them (like don't wear burkhas in places that don't allow them, because people need to be able to identify you).

I'm sure a lot of muslim countries aren't exactly really open minded to a lot of western culture or european culture, so why do they expect to have everything in their culture greeted with open arms? Try wearing a bikini on the beach in Saudi Arabia and see where that lands you. Yet, they put up a big fight when they say don't wear burkhas in certain places (like when France outlawed them eventually).

 

;-)Exaclty, I think sometimes we're too accomodating in the West when the same courtesies would NEVER be afforded to us.

Clearly, we're not perfect....however, there's a reason why countries in the West have large immigration and very few leaving.

 

Real Talk.

 

ok now... all this is my fav sociology topic ever

I agree with everything you say Intrigued (Intrigued! Hello!!!!! God exists!!!).

I think though, that the right word isn't ASSIMILATION. Assimilation has negative connotations. Assimilations means deleting totally the original culture to adjust to the new one. That is just WRONG. Joining and integration are the best we could have in multi-cultural societies (even though - I know - it sounds almost impossible).

We have the same problem in Italy. Some muslim people wish the countries where they are to become muslim and use shaari'a and all that, but it's just stupid from people from those places to BELIEVE that. That's how they let them win. Italians don't even want muslims to have their mosques here because they think they are going to gain more muslims between the italians (ridiculous) and they think that women here should lose the hijab or burqa because "if we went to arabia we would have to wear it, otherwise we would go to jail". That doesn't mean that we should not allow them to wear it (if it doesn't break the law - now in Italy the law says you can't cover your face so the burqa is off).
I remember 2 weeks ago there was a querelle about this woman who brought his child to school with the black burqa. Other mums didn't complain about her "not showing her face as the law says", no.... they complained that she scared their children.... I was like WDF? Like they can't tell their children why the lady is wearing that thing and educate them to diversity. That's fucked up in my opinion. The reality is that we are scared of the "different" because that is innate in human nature and we always will.

Anyhow I'm surprised about what Angela Merkel said since she is socialist and she is supposed to have been voted my many immigrants. I understand the reasons why she says what she says anyways... a lot of immigrants don't want to join the society... but the fact is... immigrants are OK when they take jobs nobody wants, pay taxes so u can pay old german's retirements and all.... but they are not ok since they send foreing children at school and the education level lowers and the families don't speak german.... I just think people should just decide what's best. If Italy didn't have immigrants we wouldn't know how to pay retirements since we have more elders every year and less young working people... Immigrants are the only ones who make children that one day will pay taxes and will pay for my retirement. Without immigrants many firms would fail. Some Schools would close. I think that is something we should think about when we accuse foreigners... We can't want them only when they do something that is good for US.

Just my opinion.

 

Hey Thick -Beautiful!! I understand your point. I think a lot of Europe's problem is that 'native Europeans' aren't procreating nearly as much as other nations, hence, the need for the infusion of immigrants simply to support the infrastructure.

I understand that Assimilate can have a negative connotation, but it is the approriate word:

as·sim·i·late
to bring into conformity with the customs, attitudes, etc., of a group, nation, or the like; adapt or adjust: to assimilate the new immigrants.

If you make the choice to move to a new country, you need to assimilate to the customs, laws, and culture of that country....or choose a different country.

Keep it sexy TS!!

 

No.... JOINING is the optimal solution... even thought it's very hard. It's pretty much all sociologists in the world's opinion.
Assimilation is typical of melting-pot societies. Immigration don't bring any cultural richness with assimilation.
Joining has a deeper meaning. It means adjusting to laws and official practices (assimilating part, including language) of the hosting culture and at the same time maintaining traditions and language of the birth-county. That brings balance and richness to the system.

If you guys assimilated all mexican people there would be no Tacobell anymore overthere, dude

 

damn, i promise one day i'm gonna get my master degree in cultural anthropology and ethnology!!!

 

One must not forget that Germany represented the most Christianized country in the world in the 1930s and 40s. I just thought I'd throw that out there.

 

A very strange quote.

The values of Christianity and Islam share a common root in Judaism, so there is no marked contradiction between the three belief systems.

The so-called "Christian" values that Merkel refers to are actually rooted in the secular revolutions that occurred in western politics and society during and following the Enlightenment.

Was ist Aufklärung?

Like her colleagues in France, Italy, Sweden, and the United States, Merkel is playing on white fears among confused electorates who don't understand the authentic roots of uncertainty in their economies.

Note: There is no official language in the United States.

 

Yo, muslims are sneaky!! Check them mofos before they try to take over shit!!!

WHo goes to live in a country where they hate the dominant culture, are intolerant of the major religion, and don't wanna learn the mother tongue???

Muslims use liberal laws as a weapon against the prevailing political structure in Western countries.

These are stealth warriors, I'm telling you.
Their goal is to use Western laws that protect the rights of minorities to give them a political/cultural foothold.

Germany just got wise, that's all. If a Westerner tried this shit in SA or Syria, he'd be imprisoned or executed.

Those Nazi children aren't stupid.:smt083

 

The onus is always on Whitey to be accepting...yet a fear of retaliation for burning a koran by a citizen is considered a reasonable fear within our borders. Muslims are so proud as to leverage the puppetry that is Islamic fundamentalism that they will use whatever olive branch from the west to assert what they deem to be their great culture all the while intentionally trying to find contradictions and contemptuously unmaking the pseudo olive branch (see WTC mosque). They are testing how far we will stick to our multicultural rhetoric.

This is what the elite do. They fostered muslim extremism just like they did the conditions in mexico and now they are turning their victims on us, classic divide and conquer, get the slaves fighting at each other. Let's not cry Hitler, Germany like the US has the right to assert a national identity. Just because Black people have not historically been a part of that assertion doesn't mean I'm willing to give open arms to people who would do me worse than WT.
To hell with the white mans burden, send the illegals back home, and send the hot gypsy girls over here!