Around 1,400 years ago, when 150 migrants migrated (Hijra), there were about 15,000 Ansar in Medina who hosted them. That was a proportion of about 1%. In today’s context, in Turkey with a population of 80 million, the estimated influx of over 17 million refugees has reached an enormous scale.
Regrettably, at an alarming pace, we as a society seem to be progressing towards a fascism similar to pre-World War II Nazi Germany, a situation that even the current government appears unable to prevent. In the near future, we might witness Syrian and other Pakistani, Afghan, and African immigrants being assaulted by Turkish nationalist groups and businesses being looted. Of course, there will be consequences for these actions. During times when we are vulnerable, such as during earthquakes, floods, or accidents, we will observe refugee gangs engaging in looting, theft, and other criminal activities.
It seems that refugees have little intention of learning Turkish or integrating into society. Instead, they aim to continue using their medieval cultures and local Arabic languages in the countries they’ve migrated to. Meanwhile, they rapidly multiply while making use of our better healthcare and social assistance systems. Their women are confined to homes, often appearing weak, passive, and submissive.
When the first immigrants arrived in Germany five years ago, they were provided with opportunities for learning the German language and were given training to adapt to the German environment. Back then, I used to commute on the same bus with children and young refugee people who spoke better German than I did. Now, child refugees can speak impeccable German. Learning German as an adult is challenging, and it’s typically mastered during childhood, through kindergarten and primary school years. These refugees have integrated into German society, and most of them now exhibit behaviors consistent with German values, such as being diligent employees, working regularly, punctuality, keeping their word, and displaying ethics and honesty.
Refugees accepted in Germany are often highly educated and belong to the upper echelons of society. The chances and intentions of refugees integrating into our society seem rather limited. Over the past decade, the political landscape has created an undesirable atmosphere, making it almost inevitable for society to react in some way. Unfortunately, there is no simple solution to this complex problem.