BERLIN (dpa) – Hussein Amer, an Egyptian who runs a kebab shop in Berlin, is never far from the telephone these days.
His wife rings him several times a day. “Is everything OK?” she asks. “Are you and the kids allright?” he replies.These calls were not normal just over a week ago. Of course everything was in order.Before the terrorist attacks in the U.S., Amer sold falafel, poured tea, and chatted with customers and acquaintances in his shop as the day wore on.But everything has changed now. “We’re really scared,” he told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.He means Moslems. An estimated 300,000 Moslems live in Berlin. And many of them feel threatened in the wake of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington thought to have been masterminded by Islamic fundamentalist Osama bin Laden.Many Moslems fear that they might become targets of people’s anger, fear or revenge. “People look at you differently on the street now,” Amer explains.This is a sentiment expressed by many in the Arab community in Berlin. They are worried that their German neighbours will blame all Moslems for the terror, and suddenly consider all Moslems anti- Western.They are scared of becoming scapegoats. Mosques and individuals of Arab or Sikh appearance have been attacked in numerous incidents in the United States since the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington. There have been no similar attacks in Berlin so far.Ashraf Elmekawy, imam at a Berlin mosque, hopes it stays that way. Last week, a woman spat at him on the street. He did not press charges.He is urging other Moslems to adopt a cautious approach as well. “I told my brothers at the mosque to remain calm and friendly if they are criticised or attacked in public.”In Friday prayers at mosques around the country, imams – or prayer leaders – condemned the terrorist acts and prayed for the victims in the United States.Moslems in Berlin are also fearful of potential reprisals by the government, which may focus on Moslems as it rushes to step up security.The imam at the German-language mosque, Aly Abdelwahab, responds to this with considerable bitterness. He has lived in Germany for almost 30 years and is a German citizen.He is especially angry that Islamic clubs are now attracting the attention of investigators after police discovered that some of the hijackers in the U.S. terror plot had lived in Hamburg for several years.“The suspects did not belong to any organisations. They lived quietly and in isolation,” says Elmekawy. Another man does not want to be identified by name. “Who knows – you might get arrested for saying something.”“People in Germany don’t know enough about Islam,” Elmekawy said. As a result, misconceptions are rampant, especially these days, he added.“From the first day onwards, Moslems were thought to behind the attacks, although there was no proof,” said Elmekawy.He warned against conspiracy theories that are currently all the rage.Hamid, a Palestinian, says that “other forces” might have planned the attacks to harm the public image of Moslems.The men all said life was suddenly more difficult. Suddenly people looked at them as possible supporters of the terrorist actions. Suddenly, they said, they are forced to justify themselves, perhaps because of their looks, or their beliefs.“People look down on us,” says Elmekawy, the imam.And Amer adds: “I’m not Osama bin Laden. If people believe Moslems can do something like this, then they completely misunderstand Islam.”His friend Hamid, who holds a German passport, adds: “When Protestants attack children in Northern Ireland, no one believes all Protestants condone this.”
