Jews and Turks in Germany after 9/11 · 75Jewish minority in Germany, pivotal because of its long history in Ger-
many as well as the recent past, as a model for their own future insertion
in German society.
Öger’s reaction to the cartoon in Stern demonstrates that German
Turks are not only knowledgeable about the German-Jewish narrative
but also have learned to use it adeptly for their own purposes. Accus-
ing Germans of anti-Turkish racism per se is only partly effective. Rhe-
torically far more effective is to associate Turkish concerns with those
of the Jews. This strategy compels Germans to listen to Turkish intellec-
tuals because, on this point, the German environment is vulnerable—it
represents a fundamental usage of the Jewish narrative by the Turkish
leaders.^1
We suggest that immigrant leaders refer to historical minorities in or-
der to create a common perception of struggle against discrimination and
racism in the receiving country. At the same time, they formulate their
claims for membership rights within a historical framework in order to
receive political recognition from state authorities. As the above example
would suggest, Turkish immigrant leaders draw upon the Jews and Jew-
ish history because, in Germany, many Turkish immigrants “take Jews as
a concrete example of minority, in terms of history and organization.”^2
They build upon a German Jewish model in three main areas. First, they
compare the Holocaust and the fire bombings of Turkish houses in Mölln
in 1992 and Solingen in 1993. Here, leaders in Turkish immigrant associa-
tions stress the similarities between the racism against Turks and anti-
Semitism.^3 Second, they use the Jüdische Gemeinde (Jewish Community)
and the Zentralrat der Juden (Central Council of Jews) as examples of
how to organize as a minority. Lastly, Turkish immigrant associations
claim minority rights analogous to those of German Jews, whose ritual
practices have been officially recognized by German state authorities.
In the following article, we explore how Turkish immigrant associa-
tions use Jewish associations as organizational models. We also address
references made by the executive members of the Turkish immigrant as-
sociations regarding the Holocaust and anti-Semitism, as they organize
antiracist campaigns. We then discuss how the Turkish immigrant as-
sociations take the Jewish trope as a model to claim group rights. We
conclude by addressing the significance of the integration process of im-
migrants, looking at their interaction with historical minorities.