German minister: Muslim refugees' children must learn about Holocaust
(dpa)
Berlin - Friederike Heine and Ella Joyner, - German Justice Minister Heiko Maas said it was "urgently necessary" for the children of Muslim asylum seekers to be educated about the mass murder of Jews under the Nazi regime, following a spate of anti-Semitic incidents in Germany.
Maas wrote in an editorial in Spiegel magazine that many children from Middle Eastern countries "have hardly had the opportunity to learn about German history."
"Quite the opposite: They often come from countries where those in power purposefully fuel hate against Jews and Israel and anti-Semitism has become an accepted cultural norm," he added.
Berlin - Friederike Heine and Ella Joyner, - German Justice Minister Heiko Maas said it was "urgently necessary" for the children of Muslim asylum seekers to be educated about the mass murder of Jews under the Nazi regime, following a spate of anti-Semitic incidents in Germany.
Maas wrote in an editorial in Spiegel magazine that many children from Middle Eastern countries "have hardly had the opportunity to learn about German history."
"Quite the opposite: They often come from countries where those in power purposefully fuel hate against Jews and Israel and anti-Semitism has become an accepted cultural norm," he added.
The centre-left minister said that Holocaust education should become part of integration courses and children's knowledge of the subject should be tested.
Arab and Palestinian groups in Germany recently held protests against US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in which participants shouted anti-Semitic slurs and burned Israeli flags.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday called on all Germans to fight anti-Semitism and recognize their historical responsibility.
"This responsibility has no exceptions - not for those [born after the Holocaust] and also not for those who arrived here after it," said Steinmeier at an event in Berlin celebrating 70 years of Israel's existence.
"It is non-negotiable - for all who live in Germany and all who want to," said the president, who warned that anti-Semitism was yet to be overcome in the country.
Steinmeier said he doubted that Trump's recognition of Jerusalem would contribute to peace in the Middle East, though he said this did not justify the burning of Israeli flags.
Germany took in about 1 million migrants from mostly Muslim countries including Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq in 2015 and 2016.
Maas wrote in an editorial in Spiegel magazine that many children from Middle Eastern countries "have hardly had the opportunity to learn about German history."
"Quite the opposite: They often come from countries where those in power purposefully fuel hate against Jews and Israel and anti-Semitism has become an accepted cultural norm," he added.
The centre-left minister said that Holocaust education should become part of integration courses and children's knowledge of the subject should be tested.
Arab and Palestinian groups in Germany recently held protests against US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in which participants shouted anti-Semitic slurs and burned Israeli flags.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday called on all Germans to fight anti-Semitism and recognize their historical responsibility.
"This responsibility has no exceptions - not for those [born after the Holocaust] and also not for those who arrived here after it," said Steinmeier at an event in Berlin celebrating 70 years of Israel's existence.
"It is non-negotiable - for all who live in Germany and all who want to," said the president, who warned that anti-Semitism was yet to be overcome in the country.
Steinmeier said he doubted that Trump's recognition of Jerusalem would contribute to peace in the Middle East, though he said this did not justify the burning of Israeli flags.
Germany took in about 1 million migrants from mostly Muslim countries including Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq in 2015 and 2016.