The intrepid Austrian freedom fighter E.S.W. reports on our tour of three mosques in Berlin last Sunday:
Last Sunday I entered the surreal world of cultural enrichment in Berlin. Being from Vienna, where the Socialist government has given the multiculturalists a free hand for the past century, I thought I was already used to the sight of hijabed women of all backgrounds, with countless children in tow. Well, I was in for an unpleasant surprise.
Robert Spencer and I safaried through heavily enriched areas of Berlin, with Berlin-BPE member Uwe Morowski kind enough to act as our guide. It was the day after Germany's Reunification Day, which has been turned into an Open House day for Muslims, a day on which they hope to open their hearts and ...., well, mosques to more or less unsuspecting visitors interested in joining the Religion of Peace. It must have been a hugely successful day, requiring rest for everybody, because Robert and I visited three very different mosques, two of which were deserted.
The first mosque was owned by DITIB (http://www.ditib.de/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish-Islamic_Union_for_Religious_Affairs), a religious organization which is part of the Turkish embassy in Germany and as such enjoys diplomatic immunity. DITIB is in charge of all imams preaching in Germany, with the Turkish ministry of religious affairs, the Diyanet, in charge of the content of all Friday sermons.
We entered the mosque itself, which was empty except a mumbling old man crouching on the floor, all but ignoring three infidels, one without the usually prerequisite head covering. We walked about, pretending admiration, and were out soon. Nothing really to see. The courtyard, however, was a lot more information-friendly. The wall sported some interesting posters. One showed a girl covering her face with her hands and the text: "Domestic violence and what to do about it". DITIB will help you in case of: family conflicts and problems; problems with education, school and puberty; (drug) addiction; crisis situations; domestic violence; sexual abuse; marriage, separation and divorce; debt; family reunification; questions regarding residence permits; questions regarding public institutions; and last, but not least: DISCRIMINATION!
One photograph shows us in front of an office with a sign saying: "Consul/Attaché for consular and religious affairs".
We happened upon the next mosque by chance as we peered through a dark window and saw a young boy cowering on the floor. A young man waved us to the entrance and politely asked us to enter. Since I pretended not to speak any German, and Uwe was not part of the mosque, a man who appeared to be Syrian was quickly summoned, shaking Robert's and Uwe's hand, but ignoring me completely. Having lived in Muslim-Arab countries for a number of years, I did not expect anything else. However, the feeling is one of utter humiliation every time. The man proudly showed us the mosque which was still under construction, and with its elaborate arabesques and ornate dome, clearly showed signs that enormous expenditures had been made. There were children running around everywhere as well as young girls, some no older than nine or ten years, in full hijab mode.
Robert and Uwe were then invited to a glass of tea, while I was "allowed" to venture to the basement. As I walked down the stairs I saw only women with headscarves milling around. I was the only one sporting blond hair. It was interesting to note, though, that no one felt bothered by my presence. I unpacked my camera and took some photographs, fully aware that I might be asked to remove the camera and perhaps even myself. But no one cared or even looked at me.
The basement room was filled with racks of clothes; pants, dresses, shirts as well as hijabs were sold at very cheap prices (about a euro a piece!). In the back of the room I witnessed four veiled girls performing their prayers oblivious to the noise level.
At one table I was approached by a young lady who asked if she could help me. I shrugged, pretending not to understand her. She unpacked her rudimentary German skills and proceeded to tell me she was a kindergarten teacher, originally from Morocco, married to a Turk. Their two-year-old daughter does not speak any other language besides German. She was very friendly, pretty, and not out to dawa-ize me. I asked her where all the clothes came from. She tried to explain that it was shopkeepers who donated the clothes. My question - "Why so cheap?" - was met with a simple answer: "Because they [the shopowners] are Muslim." She declined to have her photo taken with me - "My brother doesn't approve" - and I took my leave. After a while I found all the hijabs stifling and returned back to the men, Uwe and Robert.
The last mosque we entered was literally a dump. Garbage strewn all over the courtyard. No one to be seen. Only some Turkish TV blasting from somewhere. There was a faint smell of dead or decayed meat. Back outside we took a closer look at the signs: The mosque had a butchery on its premises. That explained it.
Soon it was time for me to head back south to Vienna. I left Uwe and Robert, who headed off to have a beer or two, while I took the underground to the airport. The underground ride was an enriching experience in itself: A group of young Turkish boys, all dressed in expensive shirts and jeans, entered the train and proceeded to annoy riders by talking very loudly, almost shouting at each other, speaking a mixture of poor German and Turkish. One of the boys started hitting the handles and was reprimanded by a lady sitting across from me. "Why are you doing that? Can you stop right now." He didn't listen and continued banging for no apparent reason. The entire scene was a simple bullying match. He was bored and wanted to annoy people. I thought to myself, "These boys will one day enter the workforce? God help us." Before anyone accuses me of racism, I will add that yes, indigenous German and Austrian boys who belong to a group can get on older people's nerves. What shocked me was the air of superiority and arrogance these German-Turkish boys exhibited, an arrogance they have no reason to have. They were too young to be arrogant.
There was a collective sigh of relief when they got off the train.
And I was relieved to reach the airport and my final destination safe and sound.
"And I was relieved to reach the airport and my final destination safe and sound." - RS
And we're relieved, too.
Bravo, Robert.
Darcy, thanks, but that was ESW speaking, not I.
Robert, you look adorable in that sweater.
Nothing surprising about either the situation of the mosques or the boys in the subway. I’ve been around in (mostly) European countries to see similar stuff. Here’s some explanations:
• There’s some construction going on in some visible part, so that they can ask for donations to complete the work.
• Prayer sections are empty for most of the day, except for one or two old persons reading Koran. Tea-coffee rooms in the back are where you’ll find people engaged in conversation most of the time.
• Diyanet (from Turkey) sends imams, who need not speak the local language. Turkish and Arabic suffice.
• Food is important, since there’s religious restrictions. Thus you’ll always find info on butchers and other halal food, posted on the walls.
• They’re proud of buying unused churches and turning them into mosques.
• Turks seem to be a bit different than the others, however my impression would be biased on that, so it doesn’t count.
• The kids, like the ones in the subway, definitely think they’re superior. Why?!. Because they’re the descendants of the Ottomans who’d kicked Europe’s ass for centuries? (As if their fathers weren’t garbage collectors on the streets of the very same Europe!) Becuase their parents raised them telling them how bad, low, etc. Germans (or whatever nationality) are? Because that’s the only way they can suppress the fact that they themselves are ‘Ganz Unten’? Because those Kafirun will go to Hell, and they will be forgiven (maybe after a ‘short’ term of punishment)? Because they’re a minority and they fear they’ll be kicked around unless they show it around that they’re strong enough to do whatever they want? Do you have more to add to these suggestions?..
Same sentiment!
This is sad. It has been many years since I have been to Berlin. This is not was hoped for in 1989 as the wall was coming down.
Ludwig Erhard was given credit for the economic boom of West Germany, the celebrated Wirtschaftswunder. And West Germany, beginning in the 1960s, needed Gastarbeiter or "guest-workers." The first ones came mainly from Italy and Greece. They worked hard, did no damage, made no demands, and most returned home. Then came, starting in the late 1960s, Turkish men, who also worked hard. But they stayed. And they were allowed ultimately to bring in their wives (the "s" is ambiguous here), and children, and everyone stayed, and more relatives came, and everyone decided that Germany was swell, and not only did they have no intention of leaving, but they brought in other relatives. And then so did other non-Turkish Muslims who had arrived, in most cases, as that strange because ill-defined character "refugees." Why were they "refugees"? Oh, because they said so. Because they were fleeing war-torn lands, or despotic lands, or poor lands, and Islam itself explains the aggression, the despotism, the economic paralysis of Muslim lands. But they did not jettison Islam when they came to Germany, for they had not been made to grasp how Islam explains the economic, political, social, intellectual and moral failures of their own states and societies. No one in Germany told them. No one hinted at it. No one seemed to think that might be something worth knowing, and telling others about.
And here we are today, in Germany, and the Wirtschaftswunder has come and gone, but the Muslim population of Germany, with all the dangers so many of its members pose, behaves like other Muslim populations (though the Turks are not nearly as bad as the Arabs and Pakistanis) as if they are there, as if they are here, to stay.
Was that an islamic "Barbie doll" in one of those shots...the doll that comes with several habibs and both left or right black eyes?
Was that an islamic "Barbie doll" in one of those shots...the doll that comes with several habibs and both left or right black eyes?
WTH Robert? You trying to get killed?
Robert, you're such a cuddly bear!
"I left Ewe and Robert, who headed off to have a beer or two..."
Wish I were there, scarfing down some Becks Dark and hanging on every word as Robert shared some of his anti-Jihad war stories.
I'm sure many people here noticed the logo of Milli Görüş,
with its disturbing image of a Europe, colored a sickly Islamic green, embraced by the half-moon of Islam.
This is their vision for the future of Europe.
I'm sure many people here noticed the logo of Milli Görüş
I did.
Recently I've found that a youth branch of theirs, COJEP, is quite active in the OSCE (we're talking back), and furthermore gets EU funding.
We need to examine this radical organisation further, and see if we can cut their undeserved supply of EU taxpayers' money. Doing so probably would make them collapse.
Oh, dear Robert, I deeply regret that I couldn't go to the mosques with you and Uwe, and that I couldn't make it through the night with both of you. I love these sessions, but the call of home was loud, I couldn't help it. I had to join my companions.
But postponing things does by no means mean abrogating, we'll meet in Munich and we'll catch up on everything, I've got a big programme for you. Love and all of Hashem's blessings.
Monika