Page 9 - Aruba Today

WORLD NEWS 9
Friday 8 January 2016

German Muslims condemn Cologne attacks, fear consequences

A woman with a headscarf walks past a Turkish food store at Police said Wednesday “It’s really sad what hap- “It’s nothing to do with reli-
Venloer street in Cologne, Germany, on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016. that 121 women have filed pened,” said one woman gion,” he said. “Lack of re-
Cologne’s large Muslim community, many of them ethnic Turks criminal complaints for rob- wearing a Muslim heads- spect for women isn’t a reli-
who have lived in the city for decades, have joined in the cho- bery and sexual assault — carf, who only gave her last gious problem, as a Muslim
rus condemning the string of assaults on women at New Year including two allegations of name, Ozap. She rejected I can say that.”
and calling on police to prevent such attacks in future. rape. the suggestion by some Akdogdu also questioned
They said the attackers German politicians that the whether the issue might
(AP Photo/Frank Jordans) were among a group of Muslim attitudes toward have triggered greater
some 1,000 men described women might have played outrage because of an on-
FRANK JORDANS lar — is unfair when most as being of “Arab or North a role in the attacks. going debate in Germany
Associated Press migrants are law-abiding African origin” who gath- “Everywhere it says that over how to integrate the
COLOGNE, Germany (AP) and the full facts of what ered in front of the Co- this has something to do nearly 1.1 million refugees
— Members of Cologne’s happened on the night re- logne’s main train station with Muslims. What I read who came to the country
large Muslim community main unclear. and gothic cathedral that and learned in the Quran is last year, many of them
have joined the chorus In Ehrenfeld, a multi-eth- night. completely different. Muslims from Syria, Iraq and
condemning a string of nic neighborhood where Although there is little solid “I’ve been here for 30 years Afghanistan.
assaults on women on streets are lined with col- information so far on who myself and I’ve never seen “Refugees are an impor-
New Year’s Eve that have orful Turkish grocery stores committed the assaults, anything like this,” she add- tant political issue at the
shocked Germany. and halal butchers, few the incident has put a spot- ed. moment but I don’t be-
But some are also voicing can believe that those who light on Chancellor Angela Hassan Akdogdu, a lieve, I don’t want to be-
concern that pointing the allegedly carried out the Merkel’s welcoming stance 34-year-old businessman lieve, that it was really refu-
finger of blame at Muslims assaults amid the crowds toward those fleeing con- and a second-generation gees,” said Akdogdu. “Ha-
in general — and North Af- ringing in the New Year flict, and has been seized Turkish immigrant, agreed. rassment and suchlike isn’t
rican immigrants in particu- may share their religion. on by Germany’s far right, He accused police of not just something you need to
which opposes most forms doing enough to prevent talk about with refugees,
of immigration. the attacks. but with everyone.”q

Spain: Police visited US couple’s
home prior to finding dead child

CIARAN GILES after not hearing from him
Associated Press in some time.
MADRID (AP) — Spanish The spokesman said the
police officers visited an man did not open the door
American couple days be- but insisted
fore they found the badly that he was fine and would
decomposed body of their get in contact with the U.S.
7-year-old son at the fam- embassy.
ily’s rented apartment in The spokesman said the of-
the northeastern city of Gi- ficers noticed nothing sus-
rona, police said Thursday. picious and left.
A police spokesman said Police on Tuesday arrested
officers were called to the the couple — a 39-year-
apartment on New Year’s old man and a 38-year-old
Eve to check if the father woman — on suspicion of
was all right after the U.S. reckless homicide after
embassy contacted them, they found the child’s body
saying the man’s col- on a bed under several
leagues were concerned blankets at the house.q