Herculean task

For weeks now we have been happy to see images of Germans warmly welcoming exhausted, yet hopeful refugees at train stations around the country. At the stations and elsewhere, volunteers tirelessly handed out water, food and clothing. These were gestures of human compassion for which Germany has been internationally praised, and rightly so. However, joyous feelings about such a "culture of welcoming" cannot hide the fact that Germany is now faced with the Herculean task of integrating these people. Most of them come from completely different cultural backgrounds; namely from Islamic countries, like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. And make no mistake, they will stay here, as the prospect of establishing peace in their countries of origin will take years, if not decades.

One should not underestimate the size of the task of integrating these new arrivals – as was the case 30 years ago when millions of "guest workers" arrived in Germany from southeastern Europe. At the time it was said that: "They are just temporary guests." So one didn't give much thought to integration. But most guest workers stayed, and many of them were in fact well integrated. Nonetheless, parallel societies evolved. To this day, some such groups want absolutely nothing to do with German society and its rules. This phenomenon can especially be seen among the generations of Turkish families that grew up here in the wake of the first generation of guest workers 40 to 50 years ago.

Give refugees responsibilities

In order to avoid such past mistakes, refugee children must be put into nurseries and schools as soon as possible. They, like their parents, must learn German. And they must be made to understand that customs in Germany are very different from those in parts of the societies from which they themselves come: men and women are created equally. No one can forbid his or her daughter from marrying a man with religious affiliations different from theirs. Whoever tries to hinder such a union with violent intervention will be jailed in Germany. The constitution - not a religious book such as the Koran - is the foundation of our society. Homosexuality is accepted in our society and no one will be jailed in Germany for their sexual orientation, as is often the case in many Middle Eastern countries. Corporal punishment of children is prohibited. And children are legally required to attend school.

Refugees must also be made familiar with fundamental aspects of German politics. For instance, that because of Germany's past, it has special relationships with both Israel and the United States. For many Middle Eastern refugees that will be a novelty.

European Islam as an opportunity for Germany

The fact that most of the refugees are from Muslim countries is not necessarily a hindrance to integration in German society. There are positive examples of Germany easily integrating hundreds of thousands of Muslims in the past: during the Yugoslav Wars in the early 1990s, almost 400,000 Bosnian war refugees came to Germany. Most of them were Bosnian Muslims. These Muslims were shaped by a moderate, European Islam, which has functioned as a bridge between East and West for centuries. If it was possible to help establish a European Islam in Germany, one resting on the foundation of our constitution, then the current wave of refugees may indeed be a great opportunity for the country.