Germany
has translated the first 20 articles of its constitution into Arabic
and printed 10,000 copies for distribution at registration centers, a
move meant to help speed up the integration of about 500,000 asylum
seekers into German society, politicians said.
Germany is expected to take in about
800,000 refugees this year — a number much higher than its neighbors,
who have been more reluctant to resettle people fleeing poverty and
violence in Afghanistan, Iraq, Eritrea, Syria and elsehwere.
Now, politicians are worrying about how
to best integrate refugees with little or no knowledge of the German
language or culture, Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said Wednesday.
While no one would be forced to give up
her religion or “change her private life,” Gabriel told German newspaper
Bild, newcomers would be expected to respect democratic values,
including, Gabriel said, the separation of church and state, gender
equality, gay rights and freedom of expression. Anti-Semitism would not
be tolerated, he added.
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“There
is a culture of freedom and responsibility, of rights and duties, which
we don’t want to give up,” Gabriel told the newspaper. “People who come
here must not only learn the German language, but also the rules of the
game of living together,” he added.
Title : Germany prints its constitution in Arabic for refugees
Description : Germany has translated the first 20 articles of its constitution into Arabic and printed 10,000 copies for distribution at registration...
