Deutsch ANJA's Book  Preface Chapter 1  Chapter 2  Chapter 3  Chapter 4  Chapter 5  Chapter 6 

PREFACE

"May I ask you a question? Are you German? And are you Muslim?"
"Yes, I am German, and yes, I am Muslim."
"You mean to say, you do have a German passport. But from what country are you originally? From where are your parents? And your grandparents?"

"I do have a German passport. I am from Sauerland county in Westfalia, as well as my parents and my grandparents. Only my great-grandfather was not German."
"Ahh." The puzzled expression on the face in front of me makes room for an understanding smile.
"My great-grandfather was Dutch."
"Dutch?" The smile vanishes as fast as it appeared.

Actually I am not Islamic predisposed. I was born in Germany, grew up in a German country town and also attended school there. After receiving my high school diploma I went on to complete my studies at a
German university and even took my Master's Degree.
And I am Muslima. At some time in my life I chose Islam as my religion. In my file of important papers there is besides my German passport, my marriage license and my diplomas also a certificate, that states, that I
am Muslima. For a few years I am covering, even on the pictures in my official papers, pray five times a day and fulfill to my best knowledge my Islamic duties. My husband is Muslim, and, God willing, my children
will be as well.

"Your husband is Turkish?"
"No, my husband is Egyptian."
"Ahhhhhh." The understanding smile brightens the face again, just for a second, before it vanishes again to make room for a rather pitying expression.
"And now you have to cover, you poor girl?"

Now the world is back in order. My case is solved, the file closed. My husband is the reason for me being Muslim. Or, rather, for me having to be Muslim. As free
will is not what goes with women in Islam. German women tend to fall for the oriental charisma. Once married to a foreigner, they are trapped. Everybody knows, that the life of women in Islam is determined by men.
As in Islam men decide. Headcover, children, domestic violence. The Muslims are known through newspaper and T.V. documentations. People are informed.

In Germany about 3% of the population is Muslim. On the whole world there are nearly a billion Muslims. And everywhere they are an annoyance. Terrorists, dealers for weapons and drugs, warlords. That Islam still didn't loose attraction is based on unfortunate circumstances. German women find themselves under the influence of
Muslim men. Turks living in Germany come back to their Islamic roots as they don't feel accepted in the German society. And in the Third World the people are so poor, that fundamentalists without conscience talk them - in lack of other alternatives - into Islaam as the solution for their problems.

Menem, a good friend, used to tell such people: "If you search long enough, you will find for every Muslim on the world some kind of psychological reason for him being Muslim." Well, at least in this way you spare yourself any thoughts about Islam itself. The parts of Good and Bad have been given away for centuries. In reality of life this view of the world turns out to be an illusion. The direct confrontation with the other opens questions, that we don't like to hear. Are really the others on the wrong way? Or might we be ourselves?

For sure we have to learn to live together. We have to put aside our arrogance and to start to perceive our counterpart as a grown-up person, who as well as we lives in the 20th century. If we look closely, we can
learn a lot from each other.

Don't let this chance pass!