“I love my Germans” Qatar’s ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Chalifa Al Thani was quoted to have said on the phone when talking to the German architect Albert Speer right after he received the good news that Qatar will be home of the World Cup in 2022 (cf. Spiegel magazine 50/2010:136). The label “Made in Germany” has a good reputation in
“Alien is where human beings are being hurt and humiliated. Home is where human beings have friends, tongue and hope.” (Yüksel Pazarkaya) Maybe the meaning of the word “home” is most likely reflected if one does not terry the same. However, does the country of birth always necessarily equals home? If alien is, as the Turkish poet Pazarkaya describes it,
To tell the truth takes courage. Especially, if one does it before the public. All the more Yassin Musharbashs comment “Falsche Schablonen im Kopf” (false behaviour patterns in the head) from November 19th, 2010 on Spiegel Online made me happy. If terror comes to Germany right now, which will hopefully not happen, it is abstract for the time being, not
If you enter the Mezquita in Córdoba your are not in the wood but in the pillar forest. Big pillars with fitted arches and an alternating sequence of bricks and stones of red and beige colour are standing numerous and beautifully arranged in the cathedral. Amidst the former mosque of the 8th century stands a big chapel with screwed responsible
Andalusia or “Al Andalus” is a synonym for Spains moorish heritage. Especially the cities of Granada, Córdoba and Sevilla are material witness for this splendid times. But what does moorish heritage stand for and who were those moors anyway? The natives (griechisch: „mauros“=dunkel) of occidental white africa were called moors. Nowadays this term describes the population of North Africa which
Back then it was the Jews. Today it is the Blacks there, here the students. Maybe tomorrow it will be the Whites, the Christians or the civil servants. I can remember that reading the book “Back then it was Friedrich” in school touched me deeply. It was for the first time that I consciously realized how quickly a single person
“When in Rome do as the Romans do” that’s the recommendaton by a well-known proverb. Far away from the hustle and bustle I came across an edition of “The Times of India” during breakfast. This newspaper has two advantages: it can be read through fast and easily and it holds a lot of weired news for European minds: For example
India for the forth time! It is again the triad: Mumbai – Poona – Goa. Within two years a lot has changed in the street picture of Mumbai and Poona. A lot of things are under construction, there are new restaurants and nice dance clubs. However, the insider tip is still GOA and especially the hotel “Alila Diwa”, a genuine
It is obvious: the similarity between the name of a german who became infamous recently and the saracens, an arabic tribe which has already defied the cruisaders and which should have been converted to christianity at that time. Is somebody trying a similar attempt to the muslims in Europe? Honi soit qui mal y pense? It is remarkable though that
The caravan moves on, the topics remain the same. Whereas Dubai is still economizing its big brother Abu Dhabi is firing on all cylinders. Last year it was the Formular-One-Circuit on Yas Island, now it’s the completion of the new Sheikh-Zayed-Mosque which is called a “magnificient building of a majestic size and oriental beauty”, newspapers like “Neuen Züricher Zeitung” (NZZ)