(Not) an issue for Muslims? - Muslim Perspectives on the Fight against Antisemitism, 15.3.23

Wednesday, 15 March 2023, 19:30-21:30
Jüdisches Museum Hohenems
(Not) an issue for Muslims?
Muslim perspectives on the fight against antisemitism In conversation with Alexander Osman (Vienna) and Burak Yilmaz (Duisburg).
Moderation: Arnon Hampe

A series of talks on Muslim-Jewish relations as part of the project #OhneAngstVerschiedenSein (Part 2)

The first part of our series of talks was dedicated to the possibilities and challenges of Muslim-Jewish alliances and we entered into a productive exchange about them. In the following part we want to shed light on different perspectives and let Muslim, Jewish (and differently positioned) actors from Germany, Austria and Switzerland have their say.

The second evening event of the series will be dedicated to the contributions of our two discussion partners to the critical examination of antisemitism and the Nazi past.

Is there a place for migrant and Muslim perspectives in dealing with the Nazi past and antisemitism? Are the voices of members of minorities even heard in this already politically charged discourse? How could a confrontation with one's own antisemitic traditions look like without promoting the division into "good and bad migrants"?
We want to explore these questions together with our discussion partners Alexander Abdullah Osman and Burak Yilmaz. They will talk about their experiences in working with young Muslims and discuss the challenges and opportunities of dealing with anti-Semitism from a Muslim perspective.

After Vienna, Vorarlberg has the highest proportion of migrants in relation to the total population in Austria - around 13% of Vorarlberg society is also socialized Muslim. Recognizing these facts of migration society, questions arise about the participation opportunities of these groups. In addition to socio-economic needs, participation also includes being able to take part in social discourse in a self-confident manner. We want to pave the way for this, also here in Vorarlberg.

Alexander Abdullah Osman is a mediator, trainer, youth leader and communication scientist. He co-founded Muslim Youth Austria (MJÖ) in 1996, the first organization for German-speaking Muslim youth in Austria with the goal of strengthening an Austrian-Muslim identity. He is co-editor of the volume "Radikal gegen Extremismus: Theorie und Praxis 20-jähriger muslimischer Jugendarbeit" (Radical against Extremism: Theory and Practice of 20 Years of Muslim Youth Work) and was instrumental in launching the project "Muslim*innen gegen Antisemitismus" (Muslims against Anti-Semitism) for the MJÖ.

Burak Yilmaz studied German and English in Bochum and is currently training as a theater pedagogue. In various youth work projects and in the penal system, he has worked with young people critically on topics such as honor, sexism and violence, prevention of Islamism, anti-Semitism, racism and Nazi history in various youth work and prison projects. He is the initiator of the project "Young Muslims in Auschwitz" and has published the book "Ehrensache- Kämpfen gegen Judenhass" in 2021.

The moderator Arnon Hampe is a political scientist and leads the project #OhneAngstVerschiedenSein at the Jewish Museum Hohenems. Previously, he worked in Berlin for various institutions in the field of education critical of antisemitism and racism, Holocaust education and mediation of Jewish history and the present. He has been living and working in Hohenems since the beginning of 2022.

In cooperation with the Muslimischen Jugend Österreich ►

#WithoutFearDifferent
His talk about Judaism, remembrance culture and the Middle East - in the area of tension between antisemitism and Islamophobia in the migration society.