Germany – Should Migrants Integrate?

  • The list makes no mention of German culture as being the guiding or core culture (Leitkultur), nor does the task force explicitly demand that migrants assimilate to the German way of life. Rather, the guiding principles appear to be aimed at encouraging Germans to embrace the foreign cultural norms that migrants bring to Germany.
  • “We cannot ask anyone to respect our customs if we are not ready to articulate them…. Our country is shaped by Christianity…. Germany is part of the West, culturally, spiritually and politically speaking.” — German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière.
  • Proponents of a Leitkultur argue that it necessary to prevent the establishment of parallel societies, including those governed by Islamic sharia law.

A government task force created to promote the integration of migrants into German society has published a list of the core features of German culture.

The list studiously omits politically incorrect terms such as “patriotism” and “leading culture” (Leitkultur), and effectively reduces German traditions and values to the lowest common denominator. The task force, in fact, implicitly establishes multiculturalism as the most complete expression of German culture.

The so-called Cultural Integration Initiative (Initiative kulturelle Integration) was created by the German government in December 2016 to promote “social cohesion” after Chancellor Angela Merkel opened German borders to more than a million migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

The task force — led by the German Cultural Council (Deutscher Kulturrat) in close cooperation with the German Interior Ministry and two dozen media, religious and other interest groups — was charged with reaching a consensus on what constitutes German culture. The original aim was to facilitate “cultural integration” by encouraging migrants to assimilate to a shared set of cultural values.

After five months of deliberation, the task force on May 16 presented a list of what it considers to be the top 15 guiding principles of German culture. Encapsulated in the catchphrase “Cohesion in Diversity,” the list consists of mostly generic ideas about German culture — gender equality, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, pluralism and democracy — that are not at all unique to Germany.

Moreover, the list makes no mention of German culture as being the guiding or core culture (Leitkultur), nor does the task force explicitly demand that migrants assimilate to the German way of life. Rather, the guiding principles appear to be aimed at encouraging Germans to embrace the foreign cultural norms that migrants bring to Germany. The task force’s focus seems to have shifted from integration and assimilation to coexistence, tolerance and to the Germans adopting the migrant’s core culture.

The preamble states:

“Integration affects all people in Germany. Social cohesion can neither be prescribed, nor is it alone a task of politics…. Solidarity is one of the basic principles of our coexistence. It shows itself in our understanding of each other and in the attention to the needs of others — we stand for a solidarity society….

“Immigration changes a society and requires openness, respect and tolerance on all sides…. The stirring up of fears and hostilities is not the right way — we stand for a cosmopolitan society….

“The European integration process is not only a guarantee for peace in Europe and an important basis for prosperity and employment, it also stands for cultural convergence as well as for common European values — we want a united Europe.”

A job fair for migrants, held on February 25, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. (Image source: Carsten Koall/Getty Images)

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière, a well-known supporter of the idea of a core culture (Leitkultur), expressed disappointment at the task force’s refusal to be more specific about what constitutes Germanness. “We cannot ask anyone to respect our customs if we are not ready to articulate them,” he said. At a press conference in Berlin on May 16, he elaborated:

“I clearly disagree with the German Cultural Council regarding the word Leitkultur: I like the word, the council does not. It is still not clear to me whether what disturbs you is the word ‘core’ or the word ‘culture’ or the combination of both words. Or is it something else in the past.”

ThomasdeMaziereProponents of a Leitkultur argue that it necessary to prevent the establishment of parallel societies, including those governed by Islamic sharia law. Critics say that a Leitkultur would require migrants to abandon some parts of their identities to conform to the majority — the opposite of the multicultural ideal in which migrants should be allowed to retain their identities. De Maizière generated a firestorm of criticism after he wrote an article, published by Bild on April 29, calling on migrants to accept a German Leitkultur. He argued that Germany needs a “core culture to act as a common thread through society, especially because migration and an open society are making us more diverse.”

In his article, de Maizière outlined ten core features of a core German culture, including the principle of meritocracy and respect for German culture and history. He added: “There is something beyond our language, constitution, and respect for fundamental rights that binds us in our hearts, which makes us different, and distinguishes us from others.”

Commenting on the role of religion in Germany, de Maizière wrote that “our state is neutral, but friendly towards churches and religious communities…. Church towers shape our landscape. Our country is shaped by Christianity…. Germany is part of the West, culturally, spiritually and politically speaking.” He added:

“In Germany we say our name and shake our hand when greeting. We are an open society. We show our face. We do not wear burkas.”

De Maizière’s comments were greeted with widespread derision. Martin Schulz, chancellor candidate for the Social Democrats (SPD), said that Germany’s “leading culture, consisting of freedom, justice and peaceful coexistence, is enshrined in the constitution.”

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About the author

Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter.  Follow Soeren Kern on Twitter and Facebook

Published to The Liberty Beacon from EuropeReloaded.com

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