2021 has reached the end

    As we bid farewell to 2021, we find ourselves facing a year that has left a profound mark on the global stage. It's an archive of 12 months filled with dramatic events, actions, and days that were not just black and white, but often shaded with gray—truly eventful days.

This archive shows us the moments we have spent roaming this earth to achieve the goals we came to this life. The wheel of life is running; within it, there is a lot to keep it running as optimally as we wish or in the best way that satisfies us. The nature of human beings is always looking for perfection as God -the almighty- entirely created us until we came with a perfect face, mind, and capacities to contribute to developing all walks of life. Meanwhile, God created human beings at various mental and corporal capabilities levels. But it's our responsibility to invest them in the right way. The field fits into his capacities driven by the interests, inclinations, and propensities to achieve whatever goals we have studied, learned, or received training to perform satisfactorily. It explains the clear rule: a human without goals is a heavy burden with a meaningless life and won't accept people's respect in the long run. As such, we should always learn how to fill in whichever gaps exist around us and exert efforts for that. 

In light of that, every year passes by compiling various episodes, reflecting our aspirations and whatever we need in this life. Sometimes, we need clarification about which direction to follow, but there is a pearl of wisdom derived from past experiences that guides us through. Let's look for it, although there is still more to add to this wisdom from our experiences. There is only a prosperous future with suitable lessons learned from the past. That's why we have to look back at history to reconsider our calculations for the present and pursue a better-off future—looking back at 2021, changes sought by people towards better-off life enjoying welfare and other fundamental rights minimally. Still, people are grappling worldwide with many issues: sky-rocketing living costs, increasing the gap among the social classes, the middle-class vanishing, the current COVID-19 pandemic, etc.

Regarding ownership of properties, we have observed that the high-class or wealthy groups are now controlling entire sectors, leading to middle-class groups giving up on their properties and seeking out a more affordable economic life. It's a crystal clear fact that can be observed in metropolitan areas; the middle classes in the upcoming years will no longer be able to cope with the ramifications of the explosion of prices, waiving their properties to the wealthy groups. I have observed this phenomenon in different places where I traveled this year. The underprivileged groups are statistically apparent, and even the manifestations indicate that there is no chance for many needy people to enjoy minimally what the rich people have. They still need to move to the cosmopolitan areas and work or even enjoy some rights there. 

It's a stark reality that persists. Global policies still face a daunting task in overcoming international obstacles, including the urgent need for climate change policies that have altered the lifelines of entire communities. For instance, Madagascar made headlines this year, claiming to have been the world's first climate change-induced disaster, with a severe drought threatening farmers grappling with famine in many places. In many other areas, people still lack suitable infrastructure and struggle to find potable water. The campaigns that gained prominence in media outlets warned of the consequences of the natural drainage of these resources, including air and water pollution. In Africa, despite serenity dominating some regions,  civil war in Ethiopia continues, leaving tens of thousands of innocent people homeless and desperately seeking safety in the steep terrains and plateau, resulting in a humanitarian crisis. Reportedly, flagrant human rights violations are claimed to have been practiced by the regime's forces against civilians. This underscores the urgent need for global cooperation to address these social and economic disparities. 

The situation isn't that different in this continent in other regions; if there is no conflict, there is the plague of poverty and infectious diseases. The oil-rich country Nigeria is a clear example of gross poverty, corruption, and misuse of wealth, leading people of the land not to take advantage of their wealth but to be preyed on by the transnational oil extraction corporations. The officials enjoy the profits while local people struggle immensely in the slums. Even the heartbreaking scenes there show entire communities living over ponds and wastewater streams lacking health infrastructure. Nigeria is one of many examples of how African nations are still the victims of colonial and imperial rules and their policies after that. Thus, the corrupt leaders drained their wealth, either the black gold or the other natural resources, after colonization transitioned from direct military presence to indirect policies left behind by leaders.  

I have seen the penetration of gigantic Chinese corporations. Even China has its arms there, manifestly applying some soft power by raising its hands to help the local populations overcome their poverty, supporting the health and education sectors. Still, it always turns out that these gigantic economies make out of it eventually. Their well-orchestrated propaganda isn't an unfathomable fact to hardly understand the reality in the entire African continent anymore. One statement clarifies transitional corporations preying on the left out or "unexploited" wealth optimally by their native people because they cannot run tremendous extraction and lucrative mining projects. Likewise, if you own a massive piece of land rich in certain substances but lack the tools to manufacture, recycle, extract, or do whatever project is needed to turn this poor land into fertile land, A profitable project to be made isn't within reach; this land is useless! It's like a barren desert, nothing liveable.

Consequently, it might be better to sell or rent it from a company or a tenant who can turn this land into a profitable project, which objectifies the reality of poverty, shortage of qualified cadres, etc. In many African regions, people need more sophisticated tools to establish dynamic projects, and the areas rich in natural resources are left poor. That's why officials in many regions find themselves compelled to sign down long-term contracts with giant multi-transnational corporations.

Yes, the soft power that the media of significant economies show off their assistance for emerging countries is only sometimes beneficial. Still, propaganda must portray the reality in Africa in-depth, attempting to fulfill local people's needs. However, it instills in people's minds worldwide that the soft power of significant economies significantly alleviates poverty in the Third World by carrying out such power strategies and assisting those people in building developmental projects. But, on the other hand, one documentary film on Al-Jazeera, BBC, or DW explicitly showing the domestic circumstances in many African countries will contradict the whole propaganda. 

In other places, enormous distances of the hinterland are polluted by solid waste and chemicals, and the same issue is polluting air by steam factories. Ethno-religious conflicts are still flaring up in many areas that have not reached final stability, even being complicated as chauvinism is rising. Moving to Southeast Asia, the situation is similar to the aforementioned global dilemmas, as globalization shackled people up, putting them under the same circumstances. However, the effects are multi-layered, as we find how certain societies react to globalization differently from other communities; some cultures are negatively affected. In contrast, others turned the compass of globalization in its favor. 

In Southeast Asia, what caught my attention was the increasing population rate accompanied by the migration dilemma. Migrants from poorer Asian countries or the so-called ASEA organization zone, like Myanmar, Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand, are primarily illegal and have no status in the host country. As I was in Bangkok attending an exchange semester at the beginning of 2020 at Chulalongkorn University, I attended courses presenting the main issues. I also had the opportunity to conduct exploratory field trips in cooperation with an NGO that helps rehabilitate migrants in Thailand. The instructor showed the harsh circumstances those migrants are living under and how they help them seek integration or legal protection. He claimed the Thai legal system doesn't pay much attention to the illegal migrants who become prey for labor and sexual exploitation, which is rampant as they don't have financial sources in the host country. I observed heart-wrenching human rights abuses within the migrant community there. This example in Thailand is a complementary example to countless examples of the violation that migrants and refugees are exposed to; Latino migrants at the USA-Mexican borders are a clear example that occupied the journalistic headlines during 2021.

Therefore, my new professional journey with a German NGO working for refugees in Germany came to answer any inquiries I had directed, granting me the chance to directly face-to-face deal with refugees and listen to their stories. So, the global migration movement never ends as long as there are wars, conflicts, weapons merchants and manufacturers who sell into the inflicted areas, and capitalists fiercely devour the environment, turning the green into stones. There will always be migrants, ex-pats, diaspora, and whatever relevant manifestations with high living costs.

It's a concise summary of 2021, in which I don't want to conceal the bright side despite the global community shackled up. There are always aspects that stand up for the truth, fighting against the dilemmas mentioned earlier; I observed many outstanding initiatives for development projects and took advantage of technology to facilitate the developmental process. This site revives the hope for a better future despite the insurmountable challenges.

I also emphasize that the population of the current generation should invest much effort in educating their children, and the professionals in different fields should drive their trainees towards maintaining the environment. Because it's an invaluable asset we own on this planet, restoring it might be impossible if lost, as there is no way to retrieve endangered species if the last one is lost! Education and knowledge are power, so let's shape them in the right way and use them on the right path for a better and prosperous future away from the destructive arms race. Let's hope 2022 will be the year of radical change in all walks of life. Because our planet is a fascinating planet worth struggling for, the next generations deserve to have a dignified life and enjoy its graces and benefits as we have enjoyed and the same as the last generation.

Let's build a prosperous future for the next generations! 

Happy New Year 2022! 

The claim of cultural Threat to native culture 

 Concepts like Threat to the survival of Western Civilization referring to the cultural Threat of the new migrant community still deliberated by some published texts on the media outlets in Europe. These concepts push me to give insight into them and the factors beyond shaping them. They purposefully used to show the new socio-cultural reality of refugees hosted by some EU countries, especially Germany. 

The phenomenon of migratory movement, whether forced or voluntarily, isn't a new phenomenon in the global arena, where different fluctuations of all socio-political, cultural, demographic, and economic spheres occurred due to the mixture of the population of the native people and the newcomers from different backgrounds. Migration movements created diverse societies and brought new thoughts and ideologies to the host societies, contributing to developing the wheel of the economy and in many other fields. To explain more, many migrants or refugees from the Third World or, in other words, "Global South" to the developed countries or "Global North," came with innovative ideas and solutions to many dilemmas in different fields, which the host countries needed. On the positive side, we have witnessed how many host societies experienced paradigm shifts in many areas over the past decades by investing the enormous human energy that the migration movements brought, paving the way towards sophistication with their creative ideas. Germany is an illuminating example of this experience, depicting the magnificent development process, which resulted from the investment in the new population of refugees. 

"Merkel's decision to admit one million refugees in 2015 has had immense economic and social benefits for Germany," said Helen Dempster. 

At the scientific institutions, it's pretty observable how migrants or refugees occupy prestigious positions and how those migrants invest in their qualifications. Notably, we have seen myriad successful examples, mapping out a reality proving that many qualified migrants are highly needed to fill in existing gaps. But, this can't keep us away from the truth that still many refugees lack qualifications or are eligible for taking up a position in the host country. It's a matter to consider for building strategies to unleash their capabilities. The road is supposed to be open to them to build their skills on a new professional and academic journey. Therefore, humanitarian laws in the EU countries have agreements regarding providing migrants with protection, especially to the asylum seekers fleeing wars and dictatorships. These agreements are indiscriminately applied irrespective of race, color, religion, and sexual orientation. When these countries host migrants, don't distinguish between them based on qualified and who isn't. 

The consequence of multicultural reality in the host country is conducive to conflict between the adherents of the new culture (the migrants) and the native culture. Those migrants came to the contemporary societies holding their socio-cultural values, stripping themselves off them and adopting the new socio-cultural values of the host society is most often far-fetched. Thus, we can observe a significant percentage of the migrant communities socially isolated from the surrounding host society, attempting to strengthen their existence from being faded away. This existence for them is the identity with its components. Those groups try to accentuate their identity in all contexts because belonging and loyalty are the essence of strengthening the group.

As an illustration, I would capture one socio-cultural aspect of the eastern Asian and North-African societies based on research, especially my latest dissertation that captures a social issue within the Syrian refugee community in Germany. I found out consecutively that the peoples of those regions are community and family-clan-oriented; this is what describes them in general, the individual is supposed to be a loyal part of the group. Therefore, the collectivist approach manages their affairs, based on which individual behaviors should follow the group orientations. In addition, loyalty to the group or the higher social authority guarantee that the group or the clan is strengthened inwardly and can defend itself outwardly—defending itself in terms of fending off any attempt of penetrating and affecting it by other foreign cultures per se.

The point here is that the group that belongs to particular culture and identity inherently shows inclinations to maintain their identity and whatever is relevant to it, willing to struggle and sacrifice for maintaining it. Throughout history, identity conflicts appeared worldwide, where ethnic groups slipped into a confrontation with each other in a struggle over existentialism. In other places, the world has witnessed bloody battles aimed to wipe out the other and eradicate its existence, catching ethnic-cleansing operations like in Bosnia and Herzegovina and what was going on under colonial rules in Africa and other places as well. It turned out that identity, religion, and color are the main motives to eradicate the other for dominance over the other.

Since identity and culture are indispensable motives to strengthen the group, the group can't maintain its existence. Thus, in general, it's still problematic when a group conceives others as a threat to its identity, culture, and ethnicity that affect the course of life in many societies. As nothing occurs in a vacuum, the past historical events still echoing playing crucially in shaping the current occurrences of the present century. We find a narrative here and there built on historical circumstances, and still, people base their attitudes towards the others stemming from these occurrences. For instance, the produced historical narrative of the Crusades in the Middle East and colonial convoys there and somewhere else still echoing that the crusaded and colonized nations faced that destiny to serve the western powers, postulating that the West values are to prevail and reign over. This narrative remained up-till-the present-day with various stereotypes deliberated by the national media and cinema in the West towards the other nations, and Eastern countries pose an enriching material for them to conceive them in ways that mislead the viewers and drive them to think stereotypically towards those nations. Correspondingly, the far-right groups always find such events a flaring factor in convincing the masses of their propaganda that the newcomers pose a particular socio-cultural threat due to the norms they abide by, which contradict Western standards. 

The current diverse reality in Germany pushes us to think wisely about creating a living environment where all ethnic groups of migrants, including the native groups, can harmoniously live side-by-side without looking at the other as a threat to its identity. As aforementioned that it's not simply for a group to give up on its culture and even prefers to keep on its behaviors that reflect its cultural norms because deviating from them varies from the group's pillars. Once occurred, there are always implications on the deviation. Like in many Eastern cultures, intimacy before marriage is considered an action that violates religious rules. 

Suppose the reality is such, and each group eventually has the right to follow whatever it believes in. Is socio-cultural integration still possible to fill socio-cultural gaps in the host society?

In this sense, we need to conduct more researches to stand on the indications and the factors beyond the whole issue of integration and disintegration. However, the modest studies in this field addressed an indication to rely on for more research efforts. It's an existing fact that, for example, a new Arab community tends to maintain its cultural values and isolate itself from the surrounding native culture. Thus, the Threat of the native culture, etc., is unsubstantiated. There hasn't been the trend that the newcomers show the attempt at dominance. The whole landscape offers integration in the labor market and segregation in the social sphere. This segregation is the inescapable outcome of the different socio-religious values that isn't possible to eliminate overnight! 

Therefore, as propagated, the refugees constitute a threat to the native culture, civilization, identity, etc. is a figment of the imagination. It's a desperate attempt to fuel the phenomenon of xenophobia in the host society, conceiving the new community of the migrants as a unique culture different from the native culture in the host country. Not to generalize, many individuals who belong to the foreign culture still reject the native culture and the social behaviors that emanate from it because they don't fit into what they believe in, so on and so forth. That's why the xenophobia propagandists look at this phenomenon from the lens of the enlargement of such community constitutes a threat of demising the native culture and identity, believing that the increasing population of the new society would occupy colossal space in the socio-cultural landscape.

We need a constructive education to spread awareness within the diverse German society. Education can link all various groups and enhance peaceful coexistence to overcome all forms of hatred, incitement, and extremism.

Happened what happened? This deep-seated phenomenon bred out of this new reality of new migrants and natives living side-by-side. At the moment, I would argue that many liberties are present in a democratic country like Germany and even the freedom of belief. Therefore, it's OK to continue believing in whatever socio-religious dogma, as long as it doesn't harm others in any way or doesn't incite against the others. In the meantime, migrant communities should consider teaching their children to be tolerant with the others at their differentiation, how to accept the other as they are, and the undeniable fact that the German host society is diverse, consisting of many ethnicities. It contradicts what's propagated that the eastern migrants are a threat to the domestic culture and spreads out fears that in the foreseeable future, the number of migrants will transcend the expectations, which would play staunchly in shrinking the native culture.

Above all, we need a constructive education to spread awareness within the diverse German society. Education can link all various groups and enhance peaceful coexistence to overcome all forms of hatred, incitement, and extremism. Hence, the migrant groups should act to introduce themselves in a way that dispels the suspicion around them that they are a constant threat, which is a term propagated by the far-right extremist groups. 

اليوم العالمي للغة العربية

في اليوم العالمي للغة العربية لي كلمة،

بعد التهنئة بهذا اليوم الذي يجبُ علينا دائماً اعتباره مناسبة لها أصدائُها على منصاتنا، أُأكد على حقيقة مَفادها أن اللغة العريية هي تراثٌ وكنزٌ لغوي و فكري بقيَ راسخاً يعكس هويتُنا.  بعد أعوام طَويلة من العمل في بيئات مُتعددَة الثقافات في المجال اللغوي و نقل الكلمة العربية للثقافات الأخرى على وجه الخصوص و العيش في كنف شعوبٍ مختلفة في أماكن مختلفة، أدركتُ ماذا تعني لي لُغتي العربية و أهميتُها في وصل الحضارات، و الثراء الفكري الذي تتمتع به. هي لغة رغم قسوة الظروف المُحيطة سواء كانت ظروف أوجدَها المُستعمر استهدفتها و لا زالت تستهدِفها بسياسات الطمس المُمنهج أو التهميش من قبل أهل اللغة حافظت على رونقها و جمالها. بالإضافة لذلك حقيقة أننا لازلنا نتكلم اللغة العربية حتى يومنا هذا يُعد مَفخرة لنا و لهَويتنا، فإذا ألقينا نظرة على الواقع الذي خلفَه الإستعمار في أفريقيا و كلا الأمريكيتين، نجد بأن كثير من الشعوب الأصلية فَقدَت لُغاتها كُلياً و جزء كبير من هويتها مُستخدمة لغة المُستعمر. سُكان كندا الأصليون "الهنود" على سبيل المثال لم يَعد لِتراثهم و لِلغتهم وُجود وهكذا الحال مع سُكان أمريكا اللاتينية المجبولين بالثقافتين الأجنبيتين البرتغالية و الإسبانية.

هنيئاً لنا بيوم اللغة العربية العالمي و معاً و سوياً من أجل الحفاظ على هذا التراث العريق.

World Arabic Language Day 

On World Arabic Language Day, I have some words to say,

Congratulation on this Day! which we must always consider as an occasion that has significance on our platforms. I emphasize the fact that the Arab language is a rich heritage and a linguistic and intellectual treasure that has remained solid reflecting our identity. After many years of working in multicultural environments in the linguistic field and transferring the Arabic word to other cultures in particular and living among different peoples in different places, I realized what my Arabic language means to me, its significance in linking civilizations, and the intellectual richness it enjoys. It is the language despite the harsh surrounding circumstances, whether that created by the colonizer targeting it with the policies of systematic obliteration, or even marginalization by the people of the language, it has maintained beauty. In addition to that, the fact that we still speak the Arabic language to this day is a source of pride for us and our identity. If we look at the reality created by colonialism in Africa and both Americas, we find that many indigenous peoples have completely lost their languages ​​and a large part of their identity, using the language of the colonizer. The native "Indians" of Canada, for example, no longer have their heritage and language, and so it is with the indigenous people of Latin America, who are dominated by the foreign Portuguese and Spanish cultures.

Congratulations to us on World Arabic Language Day! Together and together, in order to preserve and develop this ancient heritage.

Welttag der arabischen Sprache

Zum Internationalen Tag der arabischen Sprache habe ich einige Worte zu sagen,

Herzlichen Glückwunsch zu diesem Tag, den wir immer als ein Anlass betrachten müssen, der auf unseren Plattformen von Wichtigkeit ist. Ich unterstreiche die Tatsache, dass die arabische Sprache ein reiches Erbe und ein sprachlicher und intellektueller Schatz ist, der unsere Identität fest widerspiegelt. Nach vielen Jahren der Arbeit in multikulturellen Umgebungen im sprachlichen Bereich und der Übertragung des arabischen Wortes auf andere Kulturen und dem Leben mit verschiedenen Menschen an verschiedenen Orten ist mir bewusst geworden, was meine arabische Sprache für mich bedeutet, welche Bedeutung sie für die Verbindung von Zivilisationen hat und welchen intellektuellen Reichtum sie genießt. Es ist die Sprache, die trotz der schwierigen Umstände, die sie umgeben, sei es durch die Kolonisatoren, die sie mit ihrer Politik der systematischen Auslöschung geschaft haben, oder sogar durch die Marginalisierung der Menschen, die diese Sprache sprechen, ihre Schönheit bewahrt hat. Darüber hinaus ist die Tatsache, dass wir heute noch die arabische Sprache sprechen, eine Quelle des Stolzes für uns und unsere Identität. Wenn wir uns die durch den Kolonialismus geschaffene Realität in Afrika und den beiden Amerikas ansehen, stellen wir fest, dass viele indigene Völker ihre Sprachen und einen großen Teil ihrer Identität vollständig verloren haben, indem sie die Sprache der Kolonisatoren verwendeten. Die "Indianer" Kanadas zum Beispiel haben ihr Erbe und ihre Sprache nicht mehr, und so ist es auch mit den indigenen Völkern Lateinamerikas, die von der fremden portugiesischen und spanischen Kultur dominiert werden.

Wir gratulieren zum Welttag der arabischen Sprache! Gemeinsam und zusammen, um dieses alte Erbe zu bewahren und weiterzuentwickeln.

 Social distancing at the workplace 

  The workplace is usually controlled by professional rules designed to ensure a convenient and safe work environment for employees and clients. Therefore, these rules guide employees through how to manage the daily work tasks based on the right approach so that employees and clients don't violate the rules or not either side exploited for whatever purpose, namely the management of code of conduct. Employees at different professional ranks have the power, and they are authorized to practice; these rules also regulate this power to ensure that it's not abused. However, it happens when employees, even high position holders, abuse their power, exploiting their co-workers who are at lower positions within the professional loop or influencing clients. Many ways of using power can happen at the workplace to achieve specific goals; it can be offering priorities or briberies, which can occur through the nepotistic relationships among the staff members or with the clients outside of the professional loop.

At this point, I am not going to go into the reasons and the motives behind power abuse at the workplace, as they are various and that requires profound analysis and highlighting it case-by-case to stand up on the circumstances under which a person at the workplace finds himself slipping into power abuse. Moreover, it's essential to consider that sometimes people violate the rules out of their hands, then in such a situation, we should give an excuse. We shouldn't be imperatively judgemental at first glance, ignoring any chance to understand a whole case of violation. The parties who committed the infraction may prove to be innocent. I also believe that one should be given another chance followed by disciplinary sessions or measures, and, of course, based on the surrounding circumstances, as things are sometimes deliberately carried out.

In this context, I would capture a moral issue that intersects one of our commitments to the professional rules at the workplace, which is the social distance with clients. This distance aims to create an environment where officials, managers, and ordinary employees can conveniently work away from clients' socialization. Still, many companies notify their employees on the code of conduct in the first workday, highlighting the significance of social distance policy to avoid potential exploitation. Otherwise, it affects the course of work, as they expect that opening up the door to social relations with clients will lead to negative consequences. For instance, clients might expect something from the employees afterward, and vice versa, and clients might exploit the employees, on the other hand, especially in regards to the secrecy of work and data might be exposed to the clients. 

I am not in contrast with these rules, they indeed guarantee a secure work environment, but I would, in this sense, argue over exceptionality. What is this exceptionality? Arguing over it, I would share my story first.

For a long time, I have been working as an online tutor for Arabic as a foreign language on an international digital platform, which is a company designed for linguistic services. I used to follow the rules, like avoiding discussing political, religious, and sensitive issues, keeping social distance, etc. However, during my long work experiences, I found out that the environment of this profession is conducive to making social relationships and even close friendships. Because the nature of teaching has a basis for discussing various topics, experiences, and adventures that sometimes surpass personal boundaries, it happened several times when my students suddenly began discussing their issues to practice Arabic and express themselves in the context. Each of them had their own goals to reach out through that digital platform. Of course, it includes building new personal and romantic relationships to move out of the country of origin or go through new experiences and adventures. Some students are interested in the melting pot with the other cultures and naturalization, as they are not interested in staying in their societies anymore. However, I should be careful with that when I feel that there is an interest in a serious and honest discussion with the other party's consent. And, if they first initiate this discussion for only the purpose of education and cultural exchange, I go for it, deflecting the sensitive matters. Apart from that, the character's nature and interests strongly indicate the person in the class. I, therefore, immediately deviate into another topic once the person on the other side initiates going into such issues because this person isn't the right person to go into this with them. After all, my intuition guides me on the right path sometimes.

But, the argument mentioned earlier regarding the applicable rules at the workplace refers to the fact that the rule is the rule. It means that topics that may lead to socialization with clients shall be avoidable without mentioning, for instance, if the client was the right one to socialize with, and then go for it. But, we are stuck with a contradictory point that completely negates the so-called neutrality policy in the code of conduct that stipulates all persons shall be treated on equal footing when applying the rules, no matter the person is indeed trustworthy for such socialization. Again, I'm not in contrast with that, though, but I'll move on with my argument to see whether things can be overruled at a certain point and whether exceptionalities are tolerable from the moral perspective. 

Back to my profession, recently, an intelligent, multilingual student began the course very motivated and jubilant. After the first two classes, she began showing pessimistic attitudes, reasoning that to the new environment in the new country where she lives. She pursued new academic experiences at the university and improved her Arabic language. She complained that the surrounding people didn't understand her, maybe because her speech was unclear and funny even though they were sarcastic about her performance, although she tried to immerse herself in the new culture. Later on, seemingly some barriers held her attempts back, and then she explained other reasons that I couldn't understand. Then she cried and cried heartily! I tried to calm her down, saying encouraging words, like "your linguistic performance in the new language is incredible! Try to keep off the negative things, naysayers, etc." Indeed, it was not a mere courtesy; her performance was incredible! Arabic isn't an easy language.

Afterward, my attempts didn't work out for calming her down, and then I offered my assistance as she lived in my country. If she couldn't overcome her despair at a certain point, I would call anyone of my family or friends to try to do something for her. The next class was the same even her situation was worse than in the previous lesson, she wept distressfully, and the scene was gloomy. That concerned me, and I realized that something serious could not be neglected. I even doubted that she was making up a story for triggering my sympathy for a specific purpose, and there was no context to start such a story, though or nothing to be attainable at that moment. Again my frequent attempts to calm her down and offer whatever practical assistance didn't work out, but she kept weeping, giving the same previously mentioned reasons. It turned out that she was alone without close friends to support her in such a situation, in which the pressure of culture shock probably caused that grief. That's why I found myself in a case where it's morally necessary to offer the proper assistance irrespective of my position as a teacher and student. At such a point, I found myself putting the professional rules of social distancing from clients aside to behave based on the values I grew up in them. 

Furthermore, there is an inescapable fact that we are all human beings who have emotions and feelings. We may pass through the same experience, as the circumstances sometimes control us. Therefore, under certain circumstances, our moral boundaries will imperatively drive us to sympathize and stay in solidarity with each other in a hard time. But, the dilemma that could occur is if your client showed up in such a situation and assisted him, then it turned out that he was making up a story, and then you'll regret having helped him. It makes you lose trust in all clients even though another one has claimed to have difficulties pleasing certain assistance and proved to be honest. Yes, here is the dilemma distrusting people around, looking at them from the same lens though some are honest, because an exploitation case was filed. Therefore, tackling such a dilemma takes us back to applying the rules of code of conduct that stipulate that the ordinance shall be used to all people indiscriminately, no matter they are honest or not.

That's a practical approach to follow, which means if a client claims to have had troubles and is in urgent need of help, you at your position should think wisely about how to handle such cases. The whole situation is like a conflict we live under between the code of conduct and the ramifications of overstepping them. On the one hand, the concerns of exploitation hover over the scene all the time. And the moral perspective of sympathizing with some clients who may prove to have believable heart-breaking stories. Eventually, no one wishes to be fired from his job because of violating the rules, and meanwhile, many of us like to behave humanly and morally with people who require help.

Here is the argument that what comes in the code of conduct may be overruled under exceptional circumstances, under which we find ourselves overruling certain items. Meanwhile, the code of conduct at the workplace is indispensable, while behaving according to it guarantees that the course of work will run, keeping the employees and the clients in the safe zone away from potential exploitation from either side. I reconfirm that it doesn't mean if a client one day showed up broken down and if we offered help would be violating the professional rules at the workplace. The argument is again that such a thing is not for encouraging people to abuse their power and break the rules but to be innovative and wisely handle the issues at the workplace. To ensure that you're still in the safe zone, once you're encountered with such attitudes, you should promptly inform the staff members or the boss who'll consult it with you to ensure whether a particular issue is safe to go into by yourself or not. In addition to that, regular discussions of morality and sympathy at the workplace and how to apply them in the proper context are highly recommended topics for which organizations or whatever aspects should design workshops and courses. 

 Bewerbung für Jobs in Deutschland

   Nachdem ich meine Masterarbeit an der Universität Freiburg abgeschlossen hatte, habe ich begonnen, mich in verschiedenen Bereichen in Deutschland zu bewerben. Zuerst war ich mir nicht sicher, wo und in welchem Bereich ich arbeiten sollte, was mich dazu gebracht hat, herauszufinden, wofür mich der kürzlich abgeschlossene Masterstudiengang in Sozialwissenschaften mit Schwerpunkt Global Studies qualifiziert. Ich fand heraus, dass eine solche Spezialisierung nicht viele berufliche Möglichkeiten oder Chancen hat, außer im akademischen Bereich. Deshalb habe ich mich auf verschiedene Stellen an deutschen Universitäten und akademischen Einrichtungen beworben, um entweder als Lektor, wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter oder in der Verwaltung zu arbeiten. Die Vorbereitung der Bewerbungen war interessant, aber mittlerweile auch stressig, vor allem das Schreiben von Motivationsschreiben, weil es manchmal eine Herausforderung ist, wie man sich vorstellt und wie man für sich wirbt, welche Worte man wählen muss, um für die Arbeitgeber sehr überzeugend zu sein, und so weiter. Irgendwann war ich sehr verwirrt darüber, welche Worte oder Sätze ich den Motivationsschreiben, die ich an verschiedene Universitäten schickte, hinzufügen sollte. Also musste ich zurückgehen und einige bereits vorbereitete Briefe lesen, die auf einigen Websites verfügbar waren, um einen Einblick in das Schreiben von Bewerbungen speziell auf Deutsch zu bekommen. 

Später wurde mir klar, dass auch die Arbeit bei NGOs, wie humanitären, Umwelt-, Entwicklungs-, Menschenrechts-, Thinktanks und politischen Organisationen eine Möglichkeit der Arbeit ist. Deshalb habe ich angefangen, überall in Deutschland Bewerbungen zu verschicken, in dem Glauben, dass, wenn einige Bewerbungen nicht erfolgreich sein werden, zumindest eine klappen sollte. 

Ich habe mein Bestes getan, um mich auf viele verschiedene Stellen zu bewerben, die von einigen deutschen Online-Stellenvermittlungen angeboten wurden, wie Stepstone, Glassdoor, XING Jobs, Deutschlandjoobs, etc. In den letzten drei Monaten wurde ich zu einigen Vorstellungsgesprächen eingeladen, einige Arbeitgeber haben mir bereits mitgeteilt, dass sie nicht an meiner Bewerbung interessiert sind, während ich noch auf Antworten der anderen Arbeitgeber warte. Während dieser Vorstellungsgespräche wurde ich mich gefragt "Wie finden Sie, dass Sie die Anforderungen der Stelle erfüllen?" "Haben Sie sich schon einmal mit prominenten Leuten getroffen und wo?" Ich wurde auch gefragt, wie viel Gehalt ich mir wünsche und ob ich in Betracht ziehen würde, dauerhaft für sie zu arbeiten oder nicht, was ich durch die Arbeit für sie erreichen würde, und so weiter und so fort. 

Diese Fragen lösten bei mir eine motivierende Diskussion mit diesen Arbeitgebern aus, obwohl ich das Gefühl hatte, dass ich auf einige knifflige Fragen keine sehr überzeugenden Antworten gegeben habe. Im Ernst, jedes Land und sogar jede Institution hat ihre eigenen bürokratischen Regeln, für mich als eine Person, die noch nie in Deutschland gearbeitet hat (außer den langen Erfahrungen, die ich an den deutschen Universitäten als Student, Austauschstudent, Teilnehmer an akademischen Projekten und auch als Teilnehmer an Konferenzen gesammelt habe) habe ich geantwortet, dass ich bereits meine beruflichen Erfahrungen habe, die ich bei lokalen und internationalen NGOs in meinem Land gesammelt habe, die mir die erforderlichen Fähigkeiten des Managements, der Koordination, der Assistenz, etc. auch wenn Sie vielleicht andere Regeln an Ihren Institutionen haben, würde ich sie auf jeden Fall schnell erlernen, es wird keine große Herausforderung für eine dreisprachige Person sein, die fließend spricht, zwei Masterabschlüsse, lange Berufserfahrungen, lange vielfältige lokale, internationale und deutsche akademische Erfahrungen und starke Empfehlungsschreiben von deutschen Professoren hat. Darüber hinaus habe ich, obwohl ich noch Student war und jetzt immer noch nicht formell angestellt bin, mein Berufsleben nicht eingestellt, sondern arbeite immer noch als Lektor für ein bekanntes internationales Online-Unternehmen (ITALKI), und ich habe diesen Job während meines letzten akademischen Lebens im Global Studies Programm ausgeübt. Natürlich habe ich durch die Erfahrung meine Kommunikationsfähigkeiten entwickelt, da ich mit Schülern aus verschiedenen soziokulturellen Hintergründen aus der ganzen Welt zu tun habe. Sollte das für eine neue Stelle an einer deutschen Einrichtung oder Universität ausreichen oder noch nicht? Sollte das für die Arbeitgeber in Deutschland überzeugend genug sein, um einen ausländischen Bewerber mit diesen Erfahrungen einzustellen oder doch eher unqualifiziert?

Ich war wirklich frustriert, als mich einige Arbeitgeber zu einem Vorstellungsgespräch eingeladen hatten mit den Worten: "Wir sind von Ihren Qualifikationen überzeugt und würden uns freuen, Sie näher kennenzulernen!" und mir nach dem bestandenen Vorstellungsgespräch ohne Angabe von Gründen mitteilten, "Es tut uns leid, Ihnen mitzuteilen, dass wir uns für einen anderen Kandidaten entschieden haben." Echt jetzt?! 

Ich neidete den Kandidaten, der für die Position ausgewählt wurde, nicht, weil ich glaubte, er/sie sei besser als ich. Im Gegensatz dazu habe ich mich für ihn/sie gefreut und ihm/ihr Glückwünsche ausgesprochen. Das frustrierte mich jedoch und ließ mich fragen, was das Problem war? Die Qualifikationen? War die Art und Weise, wie ich mich im Vorstellungsgespräch präsentierte, nicht überzeugend oder was?

Ich beschloss, mich nicht mit diesen Fragen zu beschäftigen, sondern enthusiastisch weiterzumachen, in der Hoffnung, dass die nächste Bewerbung erfolgreich sein wird, denn schließlich ist es die Entscheidung dieser Arbeitgeber, die ein ausländischer Bewerber wie ich respektieren sollte. Ich habe ihre Entscheidungen tatsächlich respektiert und bin mit meinen Träumen weitergezogen. Ich will natürlich nicht ignorieren, dass es tolle Arbeitgeber gab, die erkannt hatten, wie überzeugend meine Qualifikationen waren und wie sehr ich mich um meine Bewerbungen bemüht hatte, aber wenn sie sich für einen anderen Bewerber entscheiden mussten, schickten sie mir ermutigende E-Mails. Ich habe mich zum Beispiel beim Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) in Wiesbaden auf eine Stelle beworben, die meinen Qualifikationen entsprach, aber leider habe ich den psychologischen Test als Voraussetzung für die Stelle nicht bestanden. Dieser Test war online und auf Deutsch, was sehr schwierig war, da er zeitlich begrenzt war und die Sprache eine Herausforderung darstellte, da Deutsch meine Drittsprache ist, die ich in meinem akademischen Leben, das hauptsächlich auf Englisch war, nicht viel benutzt habe. Die Mitarbeiter teilten mir später mit, dass ich mich nicht für die nächste Phase qualifizieren würde, baten aber trotzdem um ein Treffen, um mich persönlich kennenzulernen. Ich war überrascht und glücklich, denn normalerweise schicken die Arbeitgeber einfach eine normale E-Mail und beenden die Angelegenheit, sobald der Bewerber unqualifiziert ist oder eine bestimmte Prüfung nicht bestanden hat. Das BKA hat sich jedoch etwas anderes überlegt, um mich persönlich kennenzulernen und mich für den nächsten Bewerbungsprozess zu ermutigen.  Bei dem Treffen schätzte ich die Mitarbeiter des BKA sehr, die mir sagten: "Es ist wichtig für uns, dass der Kandidat den psychologischen Test besteht, da wir mit sensiblen Angelegenheiten in Bezug auf die Sicherheit der Menschen in Deutschland umgehen, was erfordert, dass wir kluge Kandidaten einstellen, aber das bedeutet nicht, dass Sie disqualifiziert sind, Sie haben andere Möglichkeiten, sich wieder bei uns zu bewerben."

Nach diesem Treffen wurde mir klar, dass ein Land wie Deutschland großartige Dinge hat, für die es sich zu kämpfen lohnt, und ich mache mir keine Sorgen mehr um meine Zukunft, solange es solche Menschen gibt, die sich für Gleichheit und Gerechtigkeit in diesem großartigen Land einsetzen. Folglich war meine Frustration wie weggeblasen und gab mir einen starken Ansporn, weiterzumachen, um meine Träume hoffentlich in diesem Land zu verwirklichen. 

Ich werde mich natürlich auch weiterhin für Jobs bewerben, bis ich einen bekomme!

Von Nasser Alqaddi 

 The German bureaucracy ... 

 I finally submitted my Thesis

   When I looked at my thesis text, realizing that it is almost ready and contains 60 pages, I felt happy that it was a significant accomplishment. Even though it's a modest work, I still see it as a great accomplishment that means a lot to me. Preparing this Thesis took place under unexpected health circumstances during the research journey, including data collection and analysis. COVID-19 was and still is a challenge as the city of Freiburg went on the second lockdown in a desperate attempt to regain the prevalence of this fatal virus. According to the medical report, my right eye was chronically affected for unknown reasons this time. Still, the most substantial claim was the already existing defect and the intensive work pressure. It suddenly got red, and pain started in the cornea. I was referred to an ophthalmologist nearby, and he confirmed that something weird was going on in my eye, which did not indicate that it would be healed soon. He did not get a minimal idea of what that thing was. However, the first indication showed it was a chronic inflammation. He immediately referred me to the Uni hospital to get a quick and straightforward prescription so that more expert ophthalmologists could diagnose me. Then, at the hospital, I was asked to stay over for a couple of days to receive intensive medical care as the situation was indicative that it was critical. 

I already have the so-called "Conical Cornea" disease, which is usually an incurable defect. I already conducted two surgical operations on the surface of the cornea of both eyes, which is called "Keratoconus or cross-linking, in 2015 in an attempt to stop the progress in the cornea and save the remaining degrees of my sight because this disease affects the view and sometimes causes blindness. 

When I was told about the seriousness of the matter, I deteriorated, as many things were on the table to be done, mainly the Thesis. I began having obsessions fly over my head, like, "What would happen if this situation lasted longer? What should I do to get my Thesis done on time? If I postponed the Thesis, what would happen, registering it again with a new topic or what?" etc.

Such questions pushed me to struggle to end the Thesis. First, I prioritized it because anything might have led to a real postponement and destroyed other plans. As a result, especially the limited time I was given to stay in Germany. I, therefore, struggled to finish it, using one eye most often. I insisted on finishing it, and I did that through the next phase of psychological pressure, which was losing this vital part of my body as I already lost two parts of my body. One resulted from a medical mistake and another from an accident on the bike. Thus, it was like a psychological battle that I fought as well. 

I felt things went well with the writing task, and then my second examiner informed me that he needed at least one month to review my text, which I found a long time ago, and I found myself compelled to submit. Shortly after the submission on the 13th of Feb, self-blaming without hints or introduction that such blaming would start hovering over my head. But why? I submitted my Thesis, which was supposedly a moment of happiness, looking at myself as well-accomplished and diligent due to my modest accomplishment. It was the fruit of a two-year master's program completed at three prestigious universities: Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg (the host university), the University of Cape Town (the first partner university, and Chulalongkorn University (the second partner university). 

Instead of feeling that I had accomplished something incredible, I blamed myself for submitting my Thesis without even having my second examiner go over my Thesis and give feedback afterward. I only let him give me corrections on the first chapter of the Thesis, then asked me for modifications, saying he needed one month to review the whole Thesis. But I decided to submit it before; this decision put me under tough self-blaming with questions like, what would happen? Should I have gotten his feedback? I'm still new in the field, so I should have waited for his feedback to check where my weaknesses were.

In the meantime, I passed the deadline for submitting the Thesis that was set in advance upon registering the Thesis. At the same time, I tried to calm myself down, convincing myself that things would be fine, though I had big fears that my work still had some problems, etc. But the psychological pressure was more formidable, and it compelled me to stop working on my Thesis at a certain point. 

I maintained this attitude until further notice from the examination office to see whether my Thesis would be successful or not. That's why I feel like someone who has lost self-confidence. Failure is such a nightmare that I can imagine its impact.