The Jewish Museum in Berlin is one of the most stunning places I’ve ever visited. It is a multi-sensory experience, where visitors can not only learn about the comprehensive history and the plight of the Jewish people in Europe but also the events leading up to WWII.
But most of all, it’s a reflection of German history, culture and the society, which has always struggled … and still is struggling with incorporating different ethnic groups.
As in most European countries, multiculturalism … or Multikulti as it is referred to in Germany … has never been an easy concept. For some, it is merely a slogan, an antiquated public policy invented by a political party, but for millions of ethnic minorities living in Germany (and in Europe for that matter), multiculturalism is a fact of life and a part their identity that can’t be denied.
Therefore, when the Chancellor of Germany, one of Europe’s political leaders, states that “multicultural society [in Germany] has failed”, it reflects the growing intolerance and animosity towards ethnic minorities in Europe.
On the 10th Anniversary of Berlin’s Jewish Museum, I am reminded of my first visit, when I’d learned that the persecution and the annihilation of the Jewish people in Germany (Europe) wasn’t an isolated event that occurred overnight or shortly before and during WWII. It was a culmination of the arduous history of the Jews in Europe and many years of persecution in the years prior.
It was this reminder of the intolerance towards the ethnic minorities that was the most profound and alarming. It made me realize that such heinous event could have occurred … and sadly, has occurred anywhere in the world where intolerance and hatred towards people who are different (or perceived to be different) reign.
In the recent years, I’ve become concerned and disheartened as I observe a significant growth in xenophobic sentiments towards foreigners and ethnic minorities in Europe, and if history is an indication of the future events, I fear what this growing intolerance will mean to the future of Germany.
But most of all, it’s a reflection of German history, culture and the society, which has always struggled … and still is struggling with incorporating different ethnic groups.
As in most European countries, multiculturalism … or Multikulti as it is referred to in Germany … has never been an easy concept. For some, it is merely a slogan, an antiquated public policy invented by a political party, but for millions of ethnic minorities living in Germany (and in Europe for that matter), multiculturalism is a fact of life and a part their identity that can’t be denied.
Therefore, when the Chancellor of Germany, one of Europe’s political leaders, states that “multicultural society [in Germany] has failed”, it reflects the growing intolerance and animosity towards ethnic minorities in Europe.
On the 10th Anniversary of Berlin’s Jewish Museum, I am reminded of my first visit, when I’d learned that the persecution and the annihilation of the Jewish people in Germany (Europe) wasn’t an isolated event that occurred overnight or shortly before and during WWII. It was a culmination of the arduous history of the Jews in Europe and many years of persecution in the years prior.
It was this reminder of the intolerance towards the ethnic minorities that was the most profound and alarming. It made me realize that such heinous event could have occurred … and sadly, has occurred anywhere in the world where intolerance and hatred towards people who are different (or perceived to be different) reign.
In the recent years, I’ve become concerned and disheartened as I observe a significant growth in xenophobic sentiments towards foreigners and ethnic minorities in Europe, and if history is an indication of the future events, I fear what this growing intolerance will mean to the future of Germany.
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