Fighting for their rights Arab, Muslim refugees turn political activists in Germany

Protestors gather at the 'Day of Rage' protest in Germany in December, 2017, holding signs opposing U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Photo: Ali Bahnasawy

A new generation of Arab and Muslim political activists in the making is learning to deal with a German society whose language they can barely speak.

On a cold and grey morning in December, thousands of Muslims flooded the streets in Germany in a coordinated action. Carrying the Palestinian flag and holding signs written in German, they were opposing U.S. president Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. In the protest they called the ‘Day of Rage’, young Arab men and women expressed their opinions loudly and freely in a new country they now call home.

Quietly, five young people wearing badges that set them apart from the others, were making sure their fellow protestors stayed peaceful and not break any laws. These are the organizers of the protest at the forefront of a generation of Arab and Muslim immigrants in Germany who are beginning to understand that their voices matter.