The clear subtext here is that Christians will assimilate better into Germany than Muslims will. The addition of Mandaeans and Yazidis also suggests that there is a tacit recognition, among the CDU at least, that Muslim refugees bring with them a program of supremacism and a challenge to non-Muslim societal structures.
This statement, then, is a small hint that the stranglehold of the multiculturalist orthodoxy that threatens to destroy Europe may be loosening.
"Germany's CDU Interested in Accepting Refugees from Iraq," from Spiegel, May 28 (thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist):
Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats on Wednesday said they would like to see Germany take on thousands of refugees from Iraq. The hitch? They only want the Christians.For months, ethnic violence has been on the ebb in war-torn Iraq. But that has done little to ease the pressure of over 2 million refugees seeking shelter in neighboring Syria and Jordan. Indeed, for many of them -- particularly those once part of Iraq's Christian minority -- going back may never be an option.
On Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party said it would like to see Germany do its part to help out. At a press conference in Berlin, parliamentarian Erika Steinbach, the CDU's human rights spokeswoman, said her party wanted to see Germany accept thousands of Iraqi refugees. In particular, she said, the CDU wants to extend its welcoming hand to Iraqis who have suffered religious persecution in Iraq. In particular, that means the Christians.
"One would be doing a good thing were a long-term solution to be found," Steinbach said.
According to Steinbach, the CDU envisions bringing a large group (possibly as many as 10,000) of non-Muslim refugees to Germany with the understanding that they would not be treated as asylum seekers. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work in Germany, and Steinbach said that it is unrealistic to think that Christian refugees from Iraq would ever be able to return. For this reason, their ultimate integration in Germany should be supported.
Members of Yazidis and Mandaean religious minorities would also be among those allowed in, according to the party's proposal. The CDU argues that, in contrast to Muslim refugees from Iraq, religious persecution makes it unlikely that Christians, Yazidis and Mandaeans would ever by able to return....
the tragedy is, this is the way whole culturas/religious populations are transferred, or expelled by coersion
and the Christian communities of the Middle East will also disappear
the Jews left a while ago
this is the beginning of the erasure of Christian history in Iraq
just like the Jewish history in Arabia has almost been erased from memory and history
It is refreshing, just the same, to see such hints of recognition of and response to the many various forms of slow jihad in Europe.
Just recently:
Italy - Italy Raze Verona Mosque to be Oriana Fallaci Parc
Norway - Nobel Peace Center opens controversial Fallaci exhibition
This makes me want to do the happy dance.
I suspect, however, that "someone" is going to raise unholy hell about this. I just hope and pray Merkel does not give in to negative, hate-fueled pressure when it happens.
Now here is a world-class "Islamophobe" to be proud of.
Das Middle East must be der Juden frei!
- Das Thug-in-Chief
And, of course, Christian frei, Bahai frei, Zoraster frei, any other religion but Islam frei.
Oh, and after we conquer the House of War................
....the CDU wants to extend its welcoming hand to Iraqis who have suffered religious persecution in Iraq. In particular, that means the Christians.
it is unrealistic to think that Christian refugees from Iraq would ever be able to return.
This is very refreshing to hear, and I hope they stay tough as they get attacked for it. I don't know much about Chancellor Angela Merkel but I have a new respect for her.
Wouldn't this be good to hear out of the Bush administration?? No less from a President who says he is Christian and used that to help get elected.
I don't know if I should be happy or sad about this piece of news.
Christians Arabs, are undoubtly, excellent immigrants who triumph and assimilate in all the countries they settle in. Just take a look at the Christian Lebanese in the US and South America. Most of them are well-to-do and educated middle-class families, whom you can't distinguish from the "natives".
The sad part however is, if the two million Iraqi christians leave for the West permanently, christianity will be wiped off the middle-east. A religion that pre-dated Islam in the region.
Lebanon a century ago was a christian majority country. However due principally to the the mass emigration of the christians to the US, Latin America and Africa, to seek a better life, 50 years later lebanon was only 50% Christian. Today it's only 33%. That's really sad.
The same applies to "Palestine", Jordan, Egypt and other countries in the middle east with christian indigenous communities.
I also feel sad, when I think about the nearly 500.000 moroccan jews who left for Israel and France 50 years ago.
With the exception of the smaller Safardi community, the moroccan jews had been living in the Atlas mountains and the fertile plains of morocco, for more than 2000 years. They spoke Bereber and shared the same culture and customs as their non-jewish brothers. Kahinah, the great berber queen who fought against the muslim invaders, was the chief of a jewish berber tribe.
Today, only 3000 jews remain in morocco. The indigenous jewish population have been virtually wiped out from the history of morocco, as if they never existed there.
when I think that the iraqi christians are facing the same fate as the moroccan jews, I feel sadness and anger.
I know i am going to offend many americans here, but I think history will remember Bush as the one who contributed to the disappearance of christians from Mesopotamia. Without his stupid war, Christians would be safe in their home-country now. Saddam was a monster and a dictator, i don't deby it, but at least non-muslims and women were free under his rule.
sorry, i meant "wiped out of" and not wiped off.
The sad part however is, if the two million Iraqi christians leave for the West permanently, christianity will be wiped off the middle-east. A religion that pre-dated Islam in the region.
You are right, and it is truly a tragedy.
I know i am going to offend many americans here, but I think history will remember Bush as the one who contributed to the disappearance of christians from Mesopotamia.
I don't think you will offend to many americans with that statement. Besides possibly the most die-hard of bush supporters.
I am a conservative republican and am disguted with how the war has been carried out, although not for the same reasons as liberals.
Regardless of whether we should of went in or not, once the we did, the adminstration had the terrible "light footprint" stradegy which was doomed to fail. Insane rules of engagement which get our soliders and marines killed and end up with situations like this:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/DianaWest/2008/01/04/a_defining_atrocity_yes,_against_our_marines
and the complete and total abandonment of the Christians of Iraq.
I must agree with Matamoros and many other posters; when I saw this headline, the first thing I thought was, "This is well-intentioned but will only further the eradication of Christians in the Middle East." It's for that reason that I believe it usually is better to support the efforts of groups like the Barnabas Fund than to resettle Middle Eastern Christians in other countries. (http://www.barnabasfund.org/) Then again, I realize if I were one of the Christians suffering in Iraq or other countries, I might prefer resettlement.
Incidentally, if any JW reader knows of a non-sectarian organization that fights oppression of all non-Muslims (not just Christians but Bahai's, etc.) in Muslim-dominated regions, I'd appreciate the tip. I am happy to donate to Barnabas (and do, even though I am not an Evangelical Protestant). However, I would also like to help non-Christians persecuted by Muslims.
This thing needs some context:
A couple of weeks ago there was an outcry among bloggers that Iraqi Christians should be more or less excluded from getting refugee status in Germany. This thanks to opinion in our Foreign and Interior Ministries. It was a clear discrimination of Iraqi Christians seeking asylum.
Here we have a dramatic change to the better. "DER SPIEGEL" leaves out this context (and doesn't like the move by Merkel very much); her statement is a reaction to the heinous stance that Iraqi Christians shouldn't get refugee status here. She putting an end to this discrimination. The question here for some week was: Does our government consider Iraqi Muslims legitimate refugees, but not Iraqi Christians?
There's a definitive change in the making. I hope.
Thank you Angela! You've definitely made the un-dhimmi list.
The USA has a responsibility to take in Iraqi Christians, Bahias and any other group that will is facing ethnic cleansing and certain genocide once America realizes it must pull out of the hell hole which is Iraq.
Consider what already has happened with the American presence keeping some sense of order between bloodlusting Shites and bloodlusting Sunnis.
We must give these minorities a chance at life, give that the USA underestimated the depravity of Islamic culture in the Middle East.
And yes, it is a demonstrated fact that non-Muslims Arabs and Middle Easterners integrate quite well into Western and other societies. It's Islam that is the problem. Ever heard of a Bahai causing anyone real trouble in this world?
A perfect example of why the center-right is the only hope for Western civilization.
The Yazidis?
Are they the guys that worship peacocks?
WSW
"The Yazidis?
Are they the guys that worship peacocks?"
-- from a posting above
Well, peacocks are part of the story.
Flannery O'Connor raised peacocks in interfaith harmony at Andalusia -- not the Andalusia fabled by Maria Rosa "Ornament-of-the-Age" Menocal, but the family place in Milledgeville of the same name. Perhaps she wasn't a Catholic; perhaps she was a closet Yazidi.
I have a suggestion which would help this matter invade lebanon remove all muslims from palistine and lebanon and move all christians from the middle east to lebanon and palistine .
Move them from eygpt syria iraq iran so on and on this way israel and christians could have a friend behind him and emeny in front and niether would then be surrounded do it by force and any resistance by muslims in said areas devastate them.
I think it'd be better and wiser to help them financially in their Syrian and Jordanian asylum (where they can't get work-papers), rather than push them to settle permanently in strange countries. Staying in syria or Jordan will be temporary, settling thousands of miles away, will probably be permanent.
I really don't support the permanent resettlement of the last arab christians to far away countries. It'd be the equivalent of an ethnic cleansing. In germany, the Us, or Argentina they will be assimilated. They will lose their Arabic language, they will lose their culture and identity, they will intermarry with other people, and ADIOS to those who once were known as Chaldean Assyrians. This is as tragic as wiping out Jews from the face of earth through assimilation and intermarriage.
In the US, 50% of jewish males marry gentile women. That is, assimilation and intermarriage is achieving what Hitler never achieved.
I don't understand the joy of some people here over the ethnic cleansing some western good-wishers want to make.
The assimilation of Arab christians will be quick and tragic. In just one generation, the Chaldean culture will disappear.
Matamoros my reasoning behind this is they already have been wiped out by forced movement and till they convert or die muslims will not let them be if they remain in the middle east at the very least they have there cultures still an are safe they are being exterminated in there host countries and lebanon was christian to begin with .
i only wish to save them.
Edit:
I don't understand the joy of some people here over the ethnic cleansing some western good-wishers want to do.
PS: Robert, you should think seriously about enabling the edit button.
Ethnic cleanseing has already occurred by islam in the middle east since before ww2 look at numbers of christians before ww2 and now what i suggest actually i believe preserve christians and jews its not ethnic cleanseing its preservation and as i believe you are muslim mat very simple i know you would be against saveing all others from muslim genocide thats occurring around the world .
spcbat,
Under Saddam hussein the Chaldeans lived peacefully in their country.
Why on the earth did Bush invade Iraq? To implement a Chia theocracy? 20 years ago, most Iraqi women didn't wear the veil. Now, with the great Iraqi democracy brought by Bush, they're FORCED to wear the NIQAB!!!!
And no, before germany, the US, guatemala or Japan, I prefer them to stay in Jordan. If things never improve in Iraq, at least they will be able to live peacefully, in a an arab country with a big christian community. And please, do not try to "implement" democracy in Jordan too. Amnerica instead, would do them a great favour to ask their Hashemite friend to give them permanent asylum.
spcbat,
I believe you're a moron.
You should be from a "very tiny" minority to really feel and understand what I am talking about. Assimilation and intermarriage is a big problem that threatens the continuity of the jewish people.
Maybe it's no big deal for you, but it's something that frightens me.
The same thing with Chaldean Assyrians, it's really frightning the idea that they will no longer be on their historical land.
Better look at how western they really are, Christian or not. I suspect, like the Indians, honour killings, wife beating, women hatred, and rabid homophobia are not confined to Muslim Arabs.
But at least they won't be supremacist.
Just a thought
ian
I think it's better that all non-muslims leave muslim countries. The faster those muslim countries will implode and self-destruct then without the non-muslims getting hurt.
Ethnic clensing in this context is a straw man argument.
These people want to leave because their lives are at risk. Unless we are willing to aid in their security in their native lands, then we should be happy that they will achieve a level of peace and security away from their current hell.
It is easy to bemoan the absence of Jews, Christians, and others, in the ME but condemn people to life of victimhood is hardly beneficial to anyone. Coming from our relative safety in the West, it seems downright insensitive.
Now, if some said, give us weapons so we can fight back---I am 100% in favor of doing whatever we can. But to use people as demographic pawns that will likely be killed is not consistent with Western values.
The successful escape of death camps is a good thing, not a bad thing. You have to consider what the likely alternative is.
a) Merkel's got it right.
b) The departure of the non-mohammedan people from the mohammedan countries is essentially a sort of brain drain that benefits their new homes and depletes the places they leave. I can't say that this really bothers me all that much.
=============
More importantly than all of that though is that the arrival of non-mohammedan people from the mohammedan countries will help stiffen the resistance in the countries they move to, and help to discredit the appeasers and fifth columnists.
We need them as much as they need us.
Hurts the MoFoes, helps us. What's not to like?
Bring 'em on. They're welcome here.
Posted by: Matamoros at May 29, 2008 4:59 PM
This is the Metamoros (imposter) that we should be actively trying to rid ourselves of.
Regards,
awake
Maybe these refugees will take some mroe direct action against the jihadists and their helpmates there?
IF we are to take in any immigrants, they should be ones with values compatible with the west.
I would love to see a big exchange: non-muslims with western values to come here, muslims back to their islamic paradises. Everyone should be happy that way, n'est pas? And keep the exchanging trains separate, if you know what I mean...
The 'ethnic cleansing' of non-muslims will happen either this way, or the violent and oppressive way. It will happen though, we all know that.
Brain-drain is exactly what countries persecuting non-muslims deserve.
What if we could send home an equal number of moslem "refugees" for the Christians and other members of persecuted religions we take in..?
THAT would be HEAVEN!!
What if Germany could become for Christian and other REAL refugees from the islamic Middle East what Israel is for the Jews from the very same environment?
Maybe then we could live up to the solemn vow we took collectively after World War Two and the horrors of the Holocaust:
NEVER AGAIN!!
This vow must by its very nature include our commitment to stand up to those who continue to persecute Jews and Christians as well as anyone else in this world who would presume Superiority over those who dare to practice their faiths and their beliefs in the face of the most vile of oppression.
This I belive is what the role of Germany should be.. not a continual repentance but much rather a pro-active seeking-out of those who are TRULY persecuted and giving them safe harbor and a new life as such.
If Germans wish to make any sense at all of the Holocaust and the moral implications arising thereof.. we of all people must provide a safe haven for those who are threatened by mindless religious and ideological persecution.
This it seems to me is a reasoned living-out of our unique commitment to Humanity which we have been challenged with if we are truly to fulfill our wish to be cleansed of our historic "collective guilt".
Collective action is the answer in this case.
If only our governement would formulate it as such.
Hard to belive my cookie countrymen POLOticians would REALLY have the backbone to do this thing.. hope springs eternal.. I am one German who wants nothing more than to really make things right... if ever they can be made right.. taking in the refugees who REALLY need it would be a great first step..
..and how do we screen them out.. there is a report I read today that "Christian" Iraqi refugees don't want themselves favored in that way.
is that our PC media spreding that version or are they really THAT dhimmi.. or are they moslem impostors..?
How can we tell.. who is in charge of sorting out reality from propaganda.. and if the real Christians truly don't wish to be favored for immigration to Germany over their moslem "brothers" then i say let them all STEW in it!!!
We have pleny enough moslems in Germany - and everywhere eles in the WEST - already!!
Taxpayer beware!
I will write to my Prime Minister telling him what a good idea I think this is, and that Australia should follow suit.
I would be overjoyed if we in Australia were to open our doors to these dreadfully-persecuted people, too, and offer them a magic-carpet ride to a sunny desert land not that different from where they've been living.
(I don't see why we couldn't also say, very firmly, NO MUSLIMS...and let it be known that any Muslim pretending to be a 'Christian' in order to get entry, will be deported summarily, as soon as the imposture is detected. We have some Iraqi Christians here already who could surely help with the 'checking and weeding out' process necessary to get rid of taqiyya-practising Muslim pretenders).
Our Lebanese MUSLIM immigrants have been a total disaster, but our Lebanese CHRISTIANS (here since the 19th century) have been great (there was a big Maronite church in the suburb I inhabited when I lived in Sydney).
Clarification: when I said, 'not that different', I meant ONLY in terms of the geography and climate. We have Muslims here and they are getting more and more aggressive and demanding; but although we could do with a lot fewer of them, and we ought to stop any more coming in, they still do form only a very small percentage of our overall population.
Lots and lots and lots of Iraqi Assyrian Christians, both Orthodox and Chaldean Catholic, together with the newer groups, the Anglicans and Evangelical converts, would help us keep the Muslims nicely outnumbered.
..and how do we screen them out.. ?
---------------------------------------------
It's as easy as distinguishing between a mexican and a chinese. Christian Assyrians are white. They're ethnically closer to Armenians and georgians than to Persians and Arabs.
...is that our PC media spreding that version or are they really THAT dhimmi.. or are they moslem impostors..?
How can we tell.. "
LOL... Offer them the Eucharist, when they reach the shore!
...is that our PC media spreding that version or are they really THAT dhimmi.. or are they moslem impostors..?
How can we tell.. "
-----------------------------------------
check their genitals lol (Actually, that's a great idea. Muslims cannot de-circumsize themselves).
Matty, Jews are generally circumcised as well. I say we make them kiss the Bible and drink Holy water.
If they start smoking we know they're vampi..err.. moslems.
This is a sign that the dhimmis are losing their grip on power. When more Westerners wake up, Muslims will begin to find Europe a very chilly place to be.
It is just a little ironic that post-Christian Germany now looks to Christians to fit into their near godless society.
It's a funny ol' world, as my Uncle Lou used to say.
Does this mean that, given that Lebanese Christians affiliate with both of the main sects in the country, we can stop catalyzing a civil war there? Just asking.
I've quoted you and linked to you here: http://consul-at-arms.blogspot.com/2008/06/re-merkels-party-in-germany-only.html