What's life like as a Muslim-Jewish couple in Germany?

DW (English)

Saba-Nur Cheema, from Germany, is Muslim, and Meron Mendel, from Israel, is Jewish. The two are married, have two children and live in Frankfurt.

Transcript

00:00Saba Nurcima, a Muslim, and Maren Mendel, who's Jewish, have been happily married since

00:072020.

00:08They visit the Berlin Zoo like any other family.

00:11And they're living proof that peaceful coexistence is possible in spite of different nationalities

00:17and religions.

00:20People are always asking, how can you live together as a Muslim and a Jew?

00:24Are you compatible?

00:25Don't the religions clash?

00:28In our daily lives, that doesn't really play any part.

00:31We celebrate Jewish holidays, we celebrate Muslim holidays.

00:36We speak Hebrew and Urdu at home, and somehow it's a good thing, at least for us.

00:44Maren was born in Israel and came to Germany as a student.

00:48Now he's director of the Anne Frank Educational Center in Frankfurt and a consultant to Deutsche

00:53Welle on antisemitism.

00:55Saba Nurcima grew up in Frankfurt as the daughter of Pakistani refugees.

01:00Now she's a political scientist doing research for the German Interior Ministry on issues

01:05of Islamophobia in Germany.

01:07Their union is one of love.

01:11Often people see us as a symbol of hope for the Middle East conflict, but we're sorry

01:15to disappoint them.

01:17Our marriage is not a peace project.

01:19It's really just a normal marriage.

01:25No matter how open and liberal the two communities may claim to be, for many on both sides, marriage

01:31between Jews and Muslims goes too far.

01:36The couple's parents also struggled to accept it.

01:43Of course they weren't jumping for joy.

01:45Neither of our families are free of these stereotypes and prejudices that are so prevalent.

01:50Not about the Middle East conflict, either.

01:54Meron's family are directly affected by the conflict, and each side has preconceived notions

02:00about the other.

02:01So at first it was hard work, but what really made a difference was simply a first actual

02:06meeting.

02:13The couple traveled to Jerusalem and visited both Jewish and Muslim holy sites.

02:18Papa got to know Meron's family in Israel.

02:26We met up with the couple in a Berlin hotel.

02:28Since 2021, they've been writing a column entitled Jewish-Muslim dinner for a major

02:33German newspaper.

02:35They also talk about their children in it.

02:38Actually when it comes to the children, the question of Judaism or Islam is a far more

02:42important one.

02:45Many people warned us that it wouldn't work, and they'll end up deciding on neither of

02:48them, or they'll take one over the other.

02:51In our daily lives, we have no problem saying everyone follows their own religion, and then

02:56we experience other things together, and it's even nicer for us.

02:59It enriches our lives.

03:03Since the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel of October 7, 2023, and the subsequent military

03:09escalation in the Middle East, the couple have been more focused on peace than ever.

03:15In the aftermath of the Gaza war, even if it looks as if Jews and Muslims can only be

03:19enemies, that's just not true.

03:21Of course, every community is made up of very different people, and it's these nuances that

03:25we try to find.

03:29Now the couple has turned their column into a book.

03:32At readings around Germany, they've discovered how curious many people are about their lives

03:36together, and about their perspective on the Middle East conflict.

03:43What's also encouraging is that working together just feels very good for us, and it's well-received,

03:47too.

03:48Both of these aspects motivate us over and over, along with our private circumstances

03:53and our families.

03:55So many new things have taken shape.

04:01Saba Nourchima and Maren Mendel intend to carry on devoting their efforts towards greater

04:06dialogue and understanding between Jews and Muslims, both professionally and privately.

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