STOCKHOLM – The international Christian organization Open Doors has reported that Christians at asylum centers in Germany – the European country that has accepted the most migrants – face “fear and panic,” owing to widespread harassment by other asylum-seekers. Gay asylum-seekers are offered shelter at special homes in Germany, for their own protection. In Sweden, which has taken in the second-highest number of asylum-seekers in Europe – and the highest number per capita – migration authorities may now establish safe zones for women at asylum centers, where Christians and gays have also reported harassment.
Discussions about the influx of migrants into Europe have tended to focus on logistics, such as how to provide enough beds for the 1.1 million asylum-seekers who arrived in Germany last year, or the more than 160,000 who arrived in Sweden. But, as the conflicts in asylum centers reveal, the challenge is far more complex than that.
Indeed, the refugee crisis in Europe is more a matter of culture than of numbers. And cultural clashes are much harder to address than logistics – especially once they leave the regulated confines of the asylum center, which can mitigate potential conflicts with surveillance and design. How will individuals who cannot share a shelter with gays and Christians without harassing them be able to integrate into liberal European societies?
The German and Swedish governments have not placed a high priority on addressing this question. In fact, both have failed to take seriously the cultural differences – on issues like women’s rights, minority rights, family honor, and individual liberties – between asylum-seekers, mainly from the Middle East and North Africa, and the European societies where they hope to live. In Sweden, in particular, a strong commitment to political correctness has severely limited public debate.
In ignoring these differences, the political elites in both Germany and Sweden are risking some of their countries’ most valuable social assets, including security, stability, equality, tolerance, and individual freedom. Yet they fail to note these risks. They act like their hard-won social advantages are inexhaustible natural resources, rather than the product of centuries of development – a product that is far more fragile than is widely assumed.
Perhaps the most obvious example of the threat European societies faces occurred in Cologne, Germany, on New Year’s Eve, when more than 600 women were sexually assaulted – and in some cases also robbed – by large gangs of men, most of whom were illegal immigrants or asylum-seekers. Only four of the 153 suspects detained were German nationals.
Though mass sexual abuse is not unheard of in Europe, it has historically occurred only during conflicts – for example, during the Balkan wars of the 1990s and in the areas occupied by the Soviet Red Army at the end of World War II. What happened in Cologne last December has no equivalent in peacetime Western Europe.
Nor was it a one-off event. Shortly after the news of the Cologne attacks broke, it was revealed that similar attacks had taken place at the We Are Stockholm youth festival in the Swedish capital two years in a row, with young refugee men encircling and sexually assaulting teenage girls. Police had to escort 200 male attendees from the festival area last year.
For Roger Ticoalu, who heads the Stockholm city government’s events department, and his colleagues, the assaults were utterly shocking. “When we got the first indications of what happened,” he explained, “we didn’t think it could be true.” And yet it was not just true; it was pervasive – and it has continued in other contexts.
Over the last six months, reports of harassment at public bathhouses in Sweden have multiplied, with the same group approach – “a new phenomenon for us,” according to the director of a public pool in Östersund, a city in Sweden’s north – employed repeatedly. In Bornheim, Germany, male asylum-seekers had to be banned temporarily from a local bathhouse in January, after complaints of sexual harassment.
In response to the mounting anecdotal evidence of sexual abuse, Swedish police undertook an analysis of all harassment that has been occurring in public spaces. Their findings confirm that there is a problem with immigrants acting in groups to attack women and girls.
In response to this so-called “culture clash,” Sweden has launched an initiative to educate young asylum-seekers about gender equality. Likewise, Germany created an informational website, offering advice on sex and sexuality, among other topics. Whether or not such initiatives ultimately have an impact, there is no denying that in Germany and Sweden – two of the world’s most open, tolerant, and equitable societies – women and girls now face a new reality.
German and Swedish authorities have already had to take measures to protect women in public spaces. At the beginning of the year, Stockholm’s largest public bathhouse introduced single-sex time slots for the whirlpool; shortly thereafter, police officers began patrolling the area. At this year’s We Are Stockholm festival, there will be both a larger police presence and widespread video surveillance.
Large numbers of police, together with safe zones for women, helped to protect against mass sexual assaults at the carnival festivities in Cologne in February. But, as the debate over refugees rages on, one must ask: Are “safe zones for women” Europe’s future?
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Comment Commented Jaoquin Grosmann
It is fascinating how the political correct, the left and the christians, suddenly stood at the wrong side of history.
Closing their eyes for the overwhelming violent, contemptuous and passive-aggressive ways of overthrowing our democratic system, our way of life, our freedom and tolerant society, they attack everybody who does not agree with their political views.
Indeed, one does get a thorough feeling of old school socialism/communism. Lying, cheating (even done by government), harassment and intimidation, there seems no limit to obtain their political goals.
Clearly, we are on the path of civil war if nothing fundamental changes. The people see no alternative, have no alternative, then the far/extreme right. There is the real danger since they seem not to have a clear single focus on the real problem: The mentally ill Magical Thinking patients, called muslims (Other religions too, but they seem to be less problematic).They are the fundament of almost any serious problem in and about the EU. There is a real danger of anti-semitism, anti LGBTQ, anti EU, anti liberalism/progressiveness, anti democracy, anti solidarity, anti tolerance, anti development. Indeed, they seem to be the true meaning of devolution and they cost hundreds of billions a year in the EU if security and social welfare are taken into the equation.
With the far/extreme right, one cannot ask for subtle thinking. It's pandora's box and once it open, it's hard to close. Once that beast is on the loose, we'll have a Putin, an Erdogan, in Europe. Indeed, islam is on the basis of the end of democracy in Europe. Already, free travel, privacy and living without fear has been trade out for 'muslim' friendly behavior. It is like sleeping with the devil while being shushed to death.
The greatest danger of islam lies in their religious aggressively encouraged reproduction with the openly expressed goal of a demographic takeover.
Oddly, successful terrorist attacks are our friends. We need them, we deserve them and, although muslims are notorious untrustful (taqqiya), they can be trusted on one quality above all: terrorism. With over 1400 years of incest, violence and a strict religious education, this is a guarantee of their behavior. Why is this so positive? Because a sustainable solution must be found within the mainline parties with adjusted politics. An adjustment where religion is recognized as a mental illness and those patients are treated as such. Also we desperately need a very strong Atheïstic EU constitution, where freedom of religion is replaced with forced treatment.
Until now, the politically correct, left and christians all behave as though they suffer from the Stockholm Syndrome. It seems as only Darwin's Laws can adjust this behavior.
I always wish them much sharia, because that seems to be the only reality check they'll understand - as long as it is done to them personally. If it happens to others, accusations of racism and islamophobia are the first words coming out of their mouth.
The true nature of these people? Here it is:
Islamophobia, a word created by fascists, and used by cowards, to manipulate morons.
Again, we need more terrorist attacks. We deserve them and as long as we don't start to recognize the true violent and destructive nature of islam, we will get them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTC2JQPGjEs Read more
Comment Commented David Morgan
These people are well aware of the non-refoulment laws so if they break our laws and should be deported, but we are unable they need to be kept in detainee centres until their term as a refugee is over. If they have proven that they are not fit to join our societies then they should be kept away for the safety of our citizens. The 157 UNHCR convention and the 1961 convention on human rights need updating to face the economic realities of today and instead of offering family homes they should be kept in immigration camps away from other European citizens. Read more
Comment Commented Jose araujo
If they break the laws they should be arrested and punished according to the laws, like any other citizen.
If the meet the criteria to be citizens, then they should become citizens of full rights.
If they meet the criteria for a work permit, they should be granted a work permit.
But I don't think the refugee status can grant imediate rights for citizenship or work, they should have refugee status with all the rights and obligations the contry considers fit to determine. Read more
Comment Commented Raeana Connell
Thanks for the interesting article - I don't come from Europe and am relatively oblivious (apart from the Cologne incident) that this is going on. It certainly seems that people consider the economic impacts of refugees because they are easier to estimate, whereas the social impacts take longer to unfold. It's a hard problem to address. In the short term, the initiatives Sweden and Germany are putting in place are a start. What really needs to happen is for the feminist debate to take on a greater stage. This Ted talk by Jennifer Cassidy provides some interesting thoughts about feminist foreign policy and it can address myriad issues - perhaps the one Neuding has outlined being one of them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lezLud-B14s
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Comment Commented Tony Grey
Check out Bill Leake's cartoons in The Australian. Read more
Comment Commented Jose araujo
Sorry, unless the Freedom Rights Project is some kind of Neo Nazi/ultra conservative association Read more
Comment Commented Jose araujo
I'm sad that you cannot see that this kind of behaviours are a cancer that will put in danger the fundamental values of a trully equal society.
For good or worst our societies cannot follow this path. Refugee legislations is one think sexual molesting crimes are another and gender equality also a different matter.
I don't have no problems with private transportation services that gender discriminate, but I don't agree with discriminating public transportation.. Read more
Comment Commented Steve Hurst
@Jose
German and Japanese trains have women only carriages, its because there is a problem, and other countries are looking at them including the UK. Such is progress. I dont know how they propose to deal with men dressed in womens clothes Read more
Comment Commented Jose araujo
I don't get how such a piece could be writen by a co-founder of the Freedom Rights Project...
Honestly the most puzzling is that Paulina actually doesn’t see anything wrong on what she is proposing, and why the Swedish and German gvt are pro-Freedom of Rights in the position they holding while the ghetto policy she's proposing is absurd.
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Comment Commented Jose araujo
Norm, Swedish and German society and laws are designed to take care of the problem she mentioned, no need for the guethos Paulina is proposing under the assumption that refugees are sexual molesters.... Read more
Comment Commented Norm Winn
In reading Paulina's column twice, I don't see that she is "proposing" anything. To the contrary, she is reporting what has and is happening, and asks the right question of both Sweden's and Germany's governments. As humane a cause as this may be, neither government really thought through the problems that would arise due to the vast differences in cultural and social norms. The end result is the steps each is now having to take to protect certain groups of asylum-seekers as well as their own citizens is at odds with their own values and culture. Read more
Comment Commented Steve Hurst
2 wrongs dont make a right and the instructions made by some that natives should change their lawful dress and behaviour to accomodate new migrants is disturbing. Should the demands of 1 million newcomers seeking shelter change the dress code for 500million residents Read more
Comment Commented Max Isert
Thank you, Ms. Neuding!
I just posted the following comment on another Project Syndicate article when I saw your excellent piece:
''German finance minister Schäuble said the following recently:
''Closing EU borders will lead to incest, German finance minister warns
Wolfgang Schäuble said closing Germany’s borders would ‘ruin’ the country'' Link: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/closing-eu-borders-immigration-will-lead-to-incest-german-finance-minister-warns-a7077696.html
I think what Herr Schäuble does not realize is, that the Islamic World and the Middle East have the highest rates of cousin marriage in the World. So by increasing immigration from these parts of the World we are actually bringing incest and inbreeding, and all the negative genetic fallout resultant from these practices into the West, and are not saving the West from them as Schäuble falsely claims. Herr Schäuble's statement is just another example of how uninformed EU elites are about Islamic Civilization and about genetics, heritability of traits (e.g. IQ, etc.), and human biodivesity in general, and why the EU is in such trouble at the moment.
''The Middle East has uniquely high rates of cousin marriage among the world's regions. Certain Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, have rates of marriage to first or second cousins that may exceed 70%.[1] Iraq was estimated in one study to have a rate of 33%,[110] and figures for Afghanistan have been estimated in the range of 30–40%.[1]
All Arab countries in the Persian Gulf currently require advance genetic screening for all prospective married couples. Qatar was the last Persian Gulf nation to institute mandatory screening in 2009, mainly to warn related couples who are planning marriage about any genetic risks they may face. The current rate of cousin marriage there is 54%, an increase of 12–18% over the previous generation.[111] A report by the Dubai-based Centre for Arab Genomic Studies (CAGS) in September 2009 found that Arabs have one of the world's highest rates of genetic disorders, nearly two-thirds of which are linked to consanguinity. Research from CAGS and others suggests consanguinity is declining in Lebanon and Egypt and among Palestinians, but is increasing in Morocco, Mauritania and Sudan.[13]'' - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage#Middle_East_2
''In Pakistan, cousin marriage is legal and common. Reasons for consanguinity are for economic and cultural reasons.[116] As Pakistan, is a diverse country consanguineous marriages is therefore favoured by 50-60% of the population in Pakistan.[117] In some areas higher proportion of first cousin marriages in Pakistan has been noted to be the cause of an increased rate of blood disorders in the population. [117]'' - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage#Pakistan
''Muslims have practiced marriages between first cousins in non-prohibited countries since the time of Muhammad. In a few countries the most common type is between paternal cousins.[167]'' - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage#Islam '' Read more
Comment Commented David Hackett
And this gay harassment doesn't otherwise exist in Europe? Or you only choose to see it when it occurs among people of different cultures? Europe has a prejudice problem and the Nordic countries in particular still have a serious racism problem. Read more
Comment Commented ron smith
Get some perspective on mores. Xenophobia has existed in primates far longer than any variety of homo sapiens has been around. The real question is not whether it exists but whether the outsiders' behavior is increasing or decreasing the problem. Are there facts -- not just half baked opinions, but facts -- that dispute the author's viewpoint which is buttressed by facts. Read more
Comment Commented Steve Hurst
@David
From the article -
'What happened in Cologne last December has no equivalent in peacetime Western Europe.
Nor were they a one-off event.'
Its not racist, its factual. The issue as I see it is not that Europe doesnt need to improve, but that elements of the recent influx apparently have no intention to observe European law. Read more
Comment Commented David Hackett
Don't miscontrue what I wrote! Europe has a long history of racism, xenophobia and anti-gay legislation and practice. The latter part has improved recently, but verbal abuse and violence continue against these groups in the mainstream and not only among refugees who jusy arrived last year. The author's singling out of refugees is racism in a closet. Read more
Comment Commented Steve Hurst
If you think Europe has a problem try living in a fundamentalist society, at least laws are available in Europe Read more
Comment Commented Berman Hudson
This article is spot on. European leaders need to rise above the fog of politically correct denial and realize that bringing many thousands of muslims (especially young men) into peaceful, tolerant northern European societies could destroy much of the social capital those societies have spent centuries building. Unfortunately, all cultures are not equal and are not interchangeable. The elites need to wake up. Read more
Comment Commented ron smith
I concur, though I cannot say I'm optimistic about change in the political elites, at least not near-term. Read more
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