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German Jews angry that citizenship test ignores Holocaust
by amyjudd | July 12, 2008 at 04:46 pm | 156 views | 3 comments
A new citizenship test in Germany is coming under fire today by Jews living there because it does not mention the Holocaust.
It does however, mention many other less important points in German history.
Starting in September, potential German citizens will have to correctly answer 17 of 33 questions, which cover everything from regional flags to property law.
It even covers thinks like taxes on pets, but completely avoids the Nazi extermination of more that six million Jews.
Stephen Kramer, of the Central Council of Jews, said the omission betrays a "strange understanding of history" while Judaism is not included on a multiple choice question about Europe's principal religions.
The test comes amid falling numbers of applicants for German citizenship, and has been criticised as another barrier to successfully integrating immigrant communities.
Claudia Roth, of Germany's Green Party, condemned the test as a "grotesque multiple choice exam".
But Germany's interior minister Wolfgang Schaeuble defended it, saying it is easier than the exam for a drivers' licence.
While some questions are straightforward, like that which demands whether Germany is a dictatorship, a monarchy or a federal state, others are bizarre.
One asks whether providing newspapers free of charge is among the many duties of the German state.
The answers to several other questions have already been identified as either wrong or highly ambiguous. One question, for example, asks applicants to number the German population from choices including 82 and 78 million. The standard response is usually given as 82 million.
But the front pages of many German newspapers suggested that due to bureaucratic mix-ups the real figure could in fact be up to four million people fewer.
Please note: the videos are of the Holocaust and some of them are graphic.
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July 12, 2008 at 04:46 pm by amyjudd, 156 views, 3 comments
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Comments (3)
at 16:58 on July 12th, 2008
amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.
A shame - societies get black eyes based upon ignorance. Theirs is one of the most notorious and should not be ignored.
at 17:29 on July 12th, 2008
amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff. We must never forget those who died in the Holocaust.
at 21:56 on July 12th, 2008
amyjudd, I like this story. Its good stuff.
11 Million died in the KZ camps, about 6 million where Jews, the rest where Journalist, Priest, Pastors, The White Rose members, Resistance groups, Gipsies, Socialist, Communist, Anti NSDAP movements and people of all sorts. Further about 4 to 6 Million where executed in Prisons and on the spot any where, some of them where Officers of the German Regular Army called the WM that stood up against the Nazi! Rommel Was one of those Officers that tried to Kill Hitler! Four attempt where made to Kill Hitler, in one he was severely injured! Germany has the most severe laws condemning and persecuting any one that denies the horror or tries to diminish it in any shape or form! Germany has not memorials to fallen soldiers nor to its heroes like Rommel, only memorials to the victims and mainly to the Jewish victims not to many for non Jews that where killed! Germany teaches the WWII to great extend in schools and on public TV, Radio, year round, it is impossible to escape the subject for any one living in Germany! It may be time for the Jews to focus somewhat more on Israel and its crimes against Humanity. The Moslem have protected the Jews for over 5 centuries from the crusaders, the Inquisition and even in Nazi time, they feel rather betrayed and stabbed in the back by Israel its treatment of the Moslems since 1948! The King of Morocco has still to this day in his Royal title inscribed "Protector of the Jews" The Foreign Minister of Morocco is a Jew very outspoken against Israel. One of Saddams Minister was a Jew! It may be time to face reality!