Ambivalent Germany

Abstract

In 2001 Germany positioned itself for the first time as a country of immigration – that’s almost 50 years after the first German-Turkish “guest worker” contracts were signed. This act of recognition changed the political and legal landscape as demands for political, social and cultural rights suddenly became legitimate. Society responded both in support and rejection for these new demands, creating a cleaveage between pro- and anti-diversity positionings. This ambivalence becomes particularly apparent when discussing the situation of Muslims in Germany: Grounded with empirical data this paper shows how the implementation of minority rights is cognitively accepted, while rejected and disapproved of in connection with Muslims in Germany.