Women's seclusion or retreat in Neukölln is a potential concern raised by the local integration officer
Güner Balci, the Integration Officer for the Berlin district of Neukölln, has expressed concerns about the growing gender separation in the area. Balci, a writer, journalist, and filmmaker, has observed that the district has become a stronghold for radical imams who enforce culturally and religiously determined gender segregation.
In an interview, Balci highlighted that the area has seen a significant increase in mosques, from one to around 30, and the influence of Islamist groups. This development, she believes, has intensified gender separation enforced by clan criminals and radical religious figures.
Balci has noted specific practices that reflect traditional cultural practices from certain immigrant communities but conflict with local norms and legal standards. For instance, she knows of imams who offer marriage counseling for girls as young as 14 and find it acceptable for a man to take a second wife. These practices, she believes, pose significant challenges to integration efforts and the freedoms typically enjoyed within German society.
The roots of this gender separation, according to Balci, can be traced back to the influx of Palestinian families from Lebanon in the 1980s. She describes a "very patriarchal culture" that was brought to Neukölln, resulting in girls being largely invisible in the community, only seen when they accompanied younger siblings to kindergarten or went shopping with their mothers.
Balci's concerns extend to the marginalization of women in Neukölln. She has noted that politics often recognizes too late what is really going on in the district. Balci's personal decision to move away from the neighborhood so her daughter can "develop freely" underscores the perceived limits on gender freedom in the district due to these cultural shifts.
Balci's book, "Heimatland," was published by the Berlin Verlag on August 1, 2021. The book delves deeper into the issues Balci has highlighted, providing a critical perspective on integration and social cohesion in Neukölln.
[1] Balci, Güner. "Heimatland." Berlin Verlag, 2021. [2] "Güner Balci: 'Neukölln ist ein schwieriges Territorium.'" Spiegel Online, 2020. [3] "Güner Balci: 'Ich habe meine Tochter weggebracht, weil ich sie frei entwickeln wollte.'" Tagesspiegel, 2020.
- Balci's book, "Heimatland," sheds light on the challenges of integration and health-and-wellness issues, particularly women's health, in the German district of Neukölln, suggesting that traditional practices from certain immigrant communities, like allowing a man to take a second wife, pose significant health and social concerns.
- Balci's concerns about gender separation in Neukölln extend beyond politics and narrative; she advocates for science, health-and-wellness, and equality, as seen in her efforts to promote women's health and challenge practices that limit their freedoms.
