Shortly before the turn of the year, an investigation shocked: There are blatant cases of religious bullying at schools in Neukölln. Mayor Martin Hikel (35, SPD) now wants a “contact point for confrontational expressions of religion”.
This facility aims to provide students and teachers with help in the fight against bullying. But: “The district cannot handle such a task alone, for that we need the support of the Senate,” says Hikel to the BZ
He estimates the annual costs for the contact point at 250,000 euros. Problem: The new coalition has not yet decided on a budget for Berlin. “Before the summer, the districts are only allowed to finance statutory tasks and not tackle any new projects,” says Hikel.
In addition, the coalition partners of the SPD are against the contact point. dr Susanna Kahlefeld (57, Greens): “I would rather invest the money in tried-and-tested offers of help for the schools. The Rütli school, for example, would like to have more respect coaches. There are only two of them in the whole of Neukölln.”
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Instead of the project, Elif Eralp (41, left) would rather have an “independent, new anti-discrimination office for schools based in parliament”.
City Hall chief Hikel is annoyed by allegations that the study and contact point would reinforce anti-Muslim prejudices. “We have problems in some schools and we have to talk about them and we have to solve them. That’s how we do it in Neukölln.”
Hikel emphasizes: “Muslims in particular are prevented from practicing their religion freely.”