As German cities wake up to the chaos of fireworks and empty bottles on New Year’s morning, thousands of Muslim youths take to the streets with brooms and garbage bags, turning disorder into a message of peace and coexistence. This year’s campaign will cover around 240 cities.
Alongside regular sanitation workers, about 10,000 young Muslims will participate in the initiative, which has been organized for three decades, according to Imam Schergil Khalid, speaking to the German Press Agency.
Khalid, Imam of the Khadija Mosque in Berlin-Pankow, explained that the “New Year’s Clean-Up” is no longer just a voluntary activity but carries a strong political message amid debates over Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s remarks about the “public image of cities.”
“Muslims are often seen only as a problem group,” Khalid said, noting this perception was evident during the election campaign and again recently in the controversy surrounding Merz’s statements.
He emphasized that the clean-up sends a clear message: “You see us as a problem in the cityscape, but we are the ones cleaning on the day when the cities look their worst – New Year’s Day.” Khalid stressed that Muslims form an important part of the positive image of cities in Germany.
Sources - Agencies
