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New times | DeCemBeR 2009 | issue # 77 | page 1

A magazine produced by asylum seekers and immigrants in Denmark > December 2009 > issue # 77

WHILE YOU WAIT:STAY STRONG!P 4

MEET MAD, JAN & JIMMY:ARTISTS AMONG USP 6 / P 12 / P 15

DOUBLE FESTIVITIES IN AFGHANISTAN:NEW YEAR / NOWROZP 10

INTRODUCING MR. D.N. MARK:WHEN GIANTS MEETP 11

PAINT YOUR DAY!

| issue # 77 | DeCemBeR 2009 | New times

asylum and human rights. The Editorial Board reserves the right to edit these materials accord-ing to editorial and space considerations. This publication is based on the Red Cross principles of humanity, independence, impar- tiality, neu-trality, voluntarism, universality and unity.

ISSN:1397 6877

Published by:The Danish Red Cross Asylum Department

Editorial Office:Danish Red Cross Asylum DepartmentH. C. Ørstedsvej 47DK-1879 Frederiksberg CDenmarkEmail: [email protected]: +45 2334 5887

New Times Coordinator:Patricia Brander

Editor:Ole Jeppesen

Paint your day!

Editor-in-Chief:Karen-Inger Thorsen

New Times journalists:Anosh, Borys, David, Elisabeth, Fouad, Jan, Jimmy, John, Kaosar, Katz, Legend, Mad, Nabila, Omar, Otman, Samir, Solomon, Wafic, Zenzo, Ziad and Cyprien in Brovst

On job training:Hashan Usgalhewa

Trainee:Sarah Madsen

Volunteers:Anne Katrine Petersen, Natasa Pokupcic, Michael Keller, Cassie Bohlken, Leoné Nowell

Translation and editing:Patricia Brander, Ole Jeppesen, Natasa Pokupcic, Sarah Madsen, Anne Katrine Petersen

Layout:Jens Burau, supergreen.dk

Printed by:OTMAvistryk

Distributed free of charge to:Danish Asylum Centres, Ministries, members of the Danish Parliament, public libraries, asylum and human rights organisations, NGOs, media and individuals in Denmark and abroad.

Subscription:If you would like to subscribe to New Times and receive copies by post, please send an email to [email protected]. There is no charge, subscriptions are free.

ASIG:ASIG (Asylum Seekers’ Information Group) exists to answer questions about asylum and asylum life. Individuals, teachers, students, journalists – anyone who is interested in asylum matters is welcome to send an enquiry. To book the group for lectures, presentations and discussions on asylum life to take place at your school or place of work, contact [email protected].

Support:This issue is supported by the Ministry of Refu-gee, Immigration and Integration Affairs.

The opinions expressed are those of the authors and the persons interviewed. DRC cannot be held responsible for any other opinions. All contributions are very welcome from readers and others who take an interest in the issue of

A nest of creAtivityAs he makes his way through the room he greets the others with a silent “hello”. He finds an empty chair in front of a compu-ter, removes the keyboard and places his white sheets of paper on the table. With a pencil in one hand and the other hand at his cheek, he begins to draw. It is as if he has gone away – away to a place where he can relax. A place where there are no ene-mies, but only his pencil and the world they create together.

The scene is taken from a random day at New Times, but it could have been from any day of the year. When you walk into the editorial office it is striking how much creativity bubbles in the corners. Some of it never leaves the desk. Some of it never leaves the mind. But in this edi-tion we made as much room for creativity as we could.

Creativity comes from the inside but is often related to something happening in your surroundings, whether in Sand-holm or in Iraq. An anthropolo-gist noticed that it was a tradi-tion amongst Iraqis to be able to recite poetry – either your own or published. As they had escaped the regime in Iraq, writ-ing their own poetry became a way of documenting, what had happened to them – in a very emotional way.

No matter what the reason for being creative is, it takes a lot of courage to put your crea-tivity out there. We hope you enjoy the works of the asylum seekers in this special edition – and we wish you a happy New Year!

Team New Times

HAve your sAy: contributions Welcome!The New Times editorial office is situated in the Red Cross House in Frederiksberg. Here a team of asylum seekers and ex-asylum seekers living on Zealand work to cover asylum, immigration and human rights issues.

Nevertheless, we always welcome contributions to the paper and the webpage, www.newtimes.dk from asylum seekers whereever they live. For example, in this this issue we have a story from Cyprien who is currently living in Brovst asylum center. Furthermore on the webpage you can read arti-cles, stories, and poems from residents of Sigerslev center who have recently produced their own newspaper, ID Zone, for people living in the center. Ex-asylum seekers and other immi-grants are also very welcome to send contributions to us.

If you would like to submit your articles, stories, poems, photos and drawings to New Times send them to us at [email protected] or by post to New Times, Red Cross House in Frederiksberg, H C Ørstedsvej, 47, 1879 Frederiks-berg. We look forward to hear-ing from you.

Driving tHrougH DenmArk?New Times needs distribution help all around the country.Jelling, Kolding, Faaborg or Pan-drup? New Times magazine wants to spread the message throughout Denmark. Although this is a noble wish, it creates a small problem: Using the postal service is very expensive these days!

New Times comes out four times a year and if you could take around 25 copies from Copenhagen to any smaller city or cities in Denmark, we would be very grateful. We also need distributors who can put the magazine in local libraries and perhaps one or two other places, for instance cafes, where people would see it.

If you can help out with any of this, don’t hesitate to contact New Times at [email protected]

Thanks!

Photo: Freefoto.com


migrAtion generAtes tAlentMany people who live in exile try to find a way to release the stress. Some work or study, some pursue creative activities. Some start a new type of life exploring talents stimulated by their difficult situation.

By Jan ❚

Lazgin, a Kurdish asylum seeker from Syria, is one of those who found a new talent after he arrived in Denmark.

“I tried to find something to release the anger, fear, tired-ness”.

He started drawing in pencil on any kind of paper in the beginning.

“When one of the staff in my centre noticed my papers, he liked them and said that he would bring me some paint-ing materials. After some days he brought me some brushes and some colours, and I started painting,” he said.

Lazgin is 34 years old and has been in Denmark for seven months. When I asked him about his feelings when he came to Denmark, he said:

“I left my country because any country that doesn’t respect you as a human being and tries in many ways to kill the purity and peace in your heart is simply not mine. When I arrived here, I had a feeling of fear but with the help and care of the Red Cross staff, I feel like I am in the right place and I really feel the peace here. After they moved me to Sigerslev Centre from Sandholm, I looked for an activity to bring the pain out, and painting was the closest to me,” he said.

How did you learn to paint?“I hadn’t attended any art

school before, it’s just some-thing that came out, with no planning to start it.”

tHe colour of pAin

Expressing yourself through creativity seems to help release

some of the feelings you might have. But how does painting specifically help Lazgin?

“It’s not easy to live in a camp and to be far from your family and the friends you grew up with. I was forced to leave my home running from arrest and injustice and the painting gave me some relief - it’s like throw-ing the pain on the white paper, and playing with colours to create a silent life on it. I spend most of my time in the paint-ing room, trying to let the bad feelings out and to forget the situation I am in now.”

I asked him about his inspi-ration and what the paintings are about.

“I came from an Eastern Kurdish society, I grew up in the villages and the farms there. When I stand in front of the white paper, I remember those faces, lands, colours - I am draw-ing my memories.”

What is your next step, the New Year, the future?

“Unfortunately, some days ago I got a ‘negative’, mean-ing that my case was rejected. So because of that, I don’t know what will happen to me in the next few months, and how my situation will be - it’s unknown.”

To end off, he said: “I hope - if I can – to have a

course in art in the future, to make my new talent become professional.”


communicAtion mADe eAsierThis story may sound funny and ridiculous. Maybe it is only credible in the eyes of those who lived the asylum life - especially at its very beginning, when you have just arrived and one hardly knows what to do next. Maybe. Read on and see for yourself.

By Cyprien ❚

It was one of those Thursdays when every asylum seeker goes shopping and me just passing by to get back to my bicycle I had left at the ”parkering” lot when I realized that I needed some detergent.

Inside the supermarket there was a freshly-arrived lady who did not speak any of the natural languages ever known or heard of before. She apparently needed to buy something but had failed to find it on the shelves.

After several minutes of wandering about, she made that courageous move to go to the ”kassedame” and talk to her. Apparently the problem was still there since they did not understand each other. As a last resort, the lady came up with another skillfull explana-tory approach as she wanted to buy a chicken but did not know how to call it in English or in Danish.

She had no intention of ”let-ting it go” and buying some-thing else. She really wanted to buy that chicken. Without any warning to the already astounded onlookers, we all

heard her singing a very clear and loud ”cock-a-doodle-doo”.

I quickly turned around only to note there was no cock anywhere but a very beautiful woman. Her tenacity to help reduce the communication gap between people from different cultural backgrounds, recalled me Dominic Dunne, when he wrote in his novel, An Inconven-ient Woman:

”Never die in a country for which you do not speak the lan-guage”.

I paid for my detergent and left the shop but I owe respect to that woman who actually mentored me in dealing with communication problems should they arise. I hope she will never forget ”kylling” even in the next life.

During the weeks of waiting:

stAy strong!The interview is over, you go back home, you feel down and nervous. Now you face the waiting time.

By Zenzo ❚

The time waiting for an answer to your asylum application is a difficult time. What is the remedy for those going about their daily life with deep thoughts and feel-ing down? As we all know, the feelings are always with panic, sleepless nights, fear - just to mention a few.

I have been waiting for too long after my interview and it is not easy. You will feel lonely, homesick, but home is unsafe, the situation will not allow you to go back home. You don’t feel like talking but you will be forced to because there are people around you. You feel like being alone, but you live with four people in a room.

It is a wise idea to see a psy-chologist, get some advice and counselling, or later on medi-cation. The moment you feel down is the moment you feel you don’t want to talk or when you find yourself getting frus-trated. You feel like being by yourself and perhaps you get angry. Just knowing that the inside of your brain is working round and round.

bAsic HumAn neeDs

Get out, put on your jogging shorts or track suits and take a long jog. It will relax your mind. If possible take off with your iPod, play some techno music, or any favourite music. Take a long walk alone or with a friend, that will give you fresh feelings and you will relax.

God is there for us all during our times, he will be there all the time. Pray every day if pos-sible – if you believe. Don’t stay alone all the time in a room. Go out, make friends of all races and learn their culture.

Get committed to school activities, learn something that will help you in the future, wherever that may be. The moment you get busy with e.g. sports, school, a social life, that will push aside your waiting time and you will feel better.

We all know being an asylum seeker is not easy, but we still hope for a better future and we have good friends around us. We can be strong, why not?

Stop It NowBy Fouad

Stop it nowIt’s only the innocent who get hurt in war

The soldiersIt’s their jobThey get paid to die

The politiciansThey should be dead anywayFor letting it get this far

Stop it nowBefore either of you miss another targetAnd hit more civilians

Or will you admitCivilians are always targetsAnd your excuses are as dead as your enemiesAnd you are just as badAs you say the other side is

So stop it nowBefore you run out of targetsAnd have to include yourselvesAmong the carnage

Photo: Freefoto.com

songs of unityMusic can be defined as the art of arranging sounds in time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm and timbre.

By solomon ❚

The act of playing music started in ancient times as our forefathers gathered together and main-tained their dignity playing and listening to music.

In the Bible we read about the lights of King David, a king who entranced the world (even the kings) with pieces of inspirational music. Even when he committed sins, he still pleased God through the language of music. Today his music is written in the Bible as the Book of Psalms which means the Songs of David.

Playing music is enchanting, listening to it is redeeming. Many have found their peace and freedom of mind listening to their desired music. The “thumb” behind music is incomparable as music makes the world go round. Some say music is their life, while some say it’s the language they speak. It gives a redefined meaning to the lives of many. tHe genius

Ray Charles - with nicknames Brother Ray and The Genius - is a good example of someone who could redefine meaning through music. His music impacts people whose situations seem hopeless and those who have less opportunities in life.

Ray Charles was a blind man whose life seemed crippled and meaningless with less opportunity because he was blind. But suddenly he was lifted up by the virtue of music. He learned to play as a young child before he became blind and when he grew up he was able to find a life playing wonder-ful music which took over the world.

tHe AnsWer is music

Music is a virtue. Without music life would be miserable. The world would be sad and people perpetually angry. Happiness would be far from people and the hope of unity would be dead and buried.

To some people, no matter what you say they don’t pay attention until you play music that suits their hearts and condition. Then they will want to listen to you. Many songs have been cre-ated and played as a result of love and unity.

For instance, ‘We are the world’ by Michael Jackson was sung along with many people and great artists who understood that music is a drive for change. The world took on the anthem which became a common song for unity to make the world a better place for us to live in.

tHinking About georgiA

However, the music should be played in order to take a message across to the listeners. It should explain the reasons for playing it. This is why some music can stand out. Ray Charles is a good example.

After being banned by the Georgian State gov-ernment because of his participation and respect for the human rights of the blacks living in Geor-gia, he cancelled a concert meant for the impor-tant personalities of Georgia. While they waited to hear him sing he changed his noble mind on his way to the venue - and did not show up. Later he sang the song titled “Georgia On My Mind” as a unifying song that reunited him and the U.S. State of Georgia.

Swedish songwriter Thomas G:son wrote and sang a song with the Danish title “En Bro Mellem Mennesker” which means building a bridge between people. The song impacted the minds of generous hearted people. The message describes unity in faith, beliefs, harmony and peace for all.

In a nutshell music is life and without music the world would be in shambles.

Michael Jackson: “Heal The World”, “They Don’t Really Care About Us”, “We Are The World”Ray Charles: “Georgia On my Mind”Thomas G:son: “En Bro Mellem Mennesker”Woody Guthrie: “This Land Is Your Land”

try listen to all these songs yourself and you will know what i mean:



Artist portrait / Mad

mAD About pAinting“Painting and the caricature for me are ways to express my opinions and feelings about the people and life”, says Mad, an artist and asylum seeker in Denmark.

By Nabila ❚

Mad is a Berber (Amazigh people) and originates from North Africa. He started paint-ing when he was only 10. Mad is now 59 years old, and his pas-sion for art is still the same.

A self taught painter and a cartoonist, Mad especially likes the Impressionist painters, such as Monet and Renoir:

“When I was young, I copied famous paintings and this is how I studied the techniques. I find inspiration in everyday life problems. It is difficult to paint and work when I am depressed or stressed out as I am right now. Then, the inspiration comes dif-ficultly. Sometimes I work for 4 or 5 days, but sometimes many days pass by and I do nothing. I try to use the asylum life as an inspiration, but only in cari-catures. It is easier to express life problems using caricatures. This is how I explain my sensi-bility towards life.”

keeping going

Mad has been working at New Times as an illustrator for seven months and his caricatures were displayed at the Danish Red Cross event on the World Refu-gee Day. Currently he is work-ing hard preparing for the next year’s exhibition of his paint-

ings in various media: acrylic oil, Chinese ink and watercol-ours. He is also actively looking for a little gallery that will show his work in the future.

When asked if it is difficult to be an asylum seeker and an artist, Mad explains:

“It is difficult to be an asylum seeker, because I am not a young man anymore. It is expensive for me to get artists’ materi-als and keep on painting. New Times helps me get materials. Also, the staff from the centre in Kongelunden helped me get paint and brushes when I needed them.”

Mad is a fervent believer in freedom and true democracy. The reason for coming to Den-mark was the press censorship in his own country, namely cen-sure of his caricatures. Mad tells us how he left many of his paintings in his country:

“I left 30 paintings behind, many of them were destroyed. All I have left are the photo-graphs of them.”

Caravane du Sahara

Femme Kabyle aux bijoux G 20


Book review:

Afvist: AsylAnsøgere i DAnmArk (Rejected: Asylum seekers in Denmark)

New Times had a read through the Grandparents for Asylum’s recent book “Afvist” [“Rejected”, Ed.] - here are our thoughts on this grim, yet deeply moving read.

By sarah ❚

“Afvist” is a collection of twenty personal accounts of people who came to Denmark for a variety of reasons, most fleeing from war and persecution. Twenty fates, whose lives (and the lives of their loved ones) have become irrevocably marked by their experiences of the Danish asylum system.

The stories, narrated by the asylum seekers themselves, serve as a backdrop to a criti-cal view of the asylum system. While not passing judgment on the Refugee Board’s decisions directly, the disapproving view on the system becomes very clear, as all the personal sto-ries are examples of the horri-ble damage that can be done to

people seeking asylum, during their wrestle with a system described as made of “stay away-mechanisms”.

After each personal account, “Afvist” gives the reader bite-sized introductions to different aspects of the asylum system, such as the Dublin Convention, statelessness, unaccompanied minor asylum seekers and imprisonment, and touches on some of the more harmful side effects of the regu-lations, such as the breaking up of families etc.

Digging Deeper

The last section of the book delves more deeply into the legal and the human rights aspects of Denmark’s asylum policies and practices with very interesting

and insightful contributions from Michala Clante Bendixen (from Refugees Underground), Law Professor Jens Vedsted-Hansen, and journalist Knud Vilby, among others.

Being a “Bedsteforældre for Asyl” project, the foreword of “Afvist” gives a short introduc-tion to their work and agenda, as well as a short outline of the current asylum situation in Denmark, with the number of annual arrivals, countries of origin etc. A “Further reading” list is also provided including links to the Danish Refugee Council, Refugees Underground and the Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs for anyone who wishes to dig deeper into asylum and integration matters or perhaps even become active in working for / with asylum seekers.

tougH reADing

“Afvist” is a captivating read, the narration simple, the tone sober, the chapters short and easily manageable. That, how-ever, does not make “Afvist” an easy read. The tragic personal stories, contrasted by the appar-ent cynicism of the system, are chilling to say the least.

They are the stories of con-fusion, frustration, and hope-lessness, of families torn mer-cilessly apart, of individuals robbed of their dignity while caught in the kafka-esque webs of bureaucracy. I had to put the book down on several occasions and swallow hard to collect myself before reading on.

The book thus serves two purposes: first, to reach the reader and evoke empathy with the asylum seekers on a deep emotional level, by putting actual names and faces on the tragedies behind the brief reports that we usually see on the news. Second, to inform the reader about the factual work-ings of the system.

The first purpose is definitely served: the emotions instilled in me while reading alternated between disbelief, shame, nausea, and anger. These are deeply moving stories that got under my skin and I will not forget them.

DetAils mAtter

The second part, while factually correct, at times I found could have done well with a little more nuance. It would have been nice to see the authors dig a little deeper into why things are the way they are, instead of falling back on the stand-ard argument that the system is only designed to scare people off. Some decisions that may seem odd or restrictional to the public eye could actually have been made out of consideration for the asylum seekers’ special needs for protection.

For example, a critical point is made that asylum seekers have no direct access to the Danish health care system and initially have to rely on the on-site doctors and nurses pro-vided by the Red Cross in the asylum centers - at no point is it even suggested that the Red Cross’ medical personnel may actually be better qualified to deal with asylum seekers’ spe-cial needs than the local gen-eral practitioner, duty doctor or the staff at a regular clinic would be.

A gooD stArting point

It’s the lack of attention to details like these that often make the difference to whether you can win an argument or not. I feel that this is especially important here, since the aim of the book is clearly to provide a sound and thorough counter-argument to those in the public debate who claim that the system is work-ing just the way it’s supposed to, or that it may even be too lenient. If you wish to challenge that view and want to be taken seriously in your criticism, you need to know not only where the system fails, but also where it actually works.

That being said, “Afvist” still provides an excellent introduc-tion to the theme of asylum seekers and refugees from a humanitarian point of view, and to the Danish policies on the subject. I therefore highly recommend this book to anyone who is even a little bit inter-ested in this highly relevant social and political issue.

AFVISTAsylansøgere i Danmark (Rejected: Asylum seekers in Denmark) 2009 edited by Eline Mørch Jensen published by Tiderne Skifter 184 pages paperback available in Danish from www.tiderneskifter.dk for 130 DKK.

still need a christmas present?

– The runner-up gets the Nobel Peace Prize

– We’re climate refugees, get us out of here!

Reflections on 2009

page 8 | issue # 77 | DeCemBeR 2009 | New times

– It’s not always enough to participate - sometimes you have to win

– What about the other 364 days?



neW yeAr / noWroZIn Afghanistan New Year is called Nowroz (New Day) and Sal-e-Now (New Year) in Dari Language. It marks the first day of the spring and the beginning of the year.

By H. shirzai ❚

It occurs on March 21 or the pre-vious/following day depending on where it is observed. People celebrate it with a special kind of drink called ’’Haft Miwa’’ (comprised of seven different kinds of fruits and nuts) usually served in the morning when people wake up. Some family members stand in front of the door offering Haft Miwa to friends and neighbours. On that day, people usually serve lunch and dinner with lots of vegetar-ian food on the table.

A special and grand ceremony is held on the tomb of ’’Sakh-e-Sahib’’ every year in Mazar-e-Sharif. Thousands of people gather from different parts of the country to participate in the flag-hoisting ceremony on the tomb which is believed to be the shrine of Hazrat Ali, the son-in-law of prophet Mohammad (Peace be Upon Him). Hotels and rental houses are fully booked, many foreigners and reporters come from around the world to attend the flag-raising cer-emony.

DAncing in tHe street

The New Year ceremony is well celebrated in Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif. People in Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif tune in to music and dance on the streets the night of the New Year. The rest of the country cannot be com-pared with Kabul and Mazar; the second cities, Jalalabad and Herat stay somehow calm and

have a normal day.Different concerts are held

in Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif. The Government arranges free entertainment for the people in Kabul, where you find many people from many different nations. New Year in Afghani-stan is not only a celebration but a demonstration of broth-erhood and unity between nations too.

neW yeAr tWice A yeAr

In reality, Afghanistan benefits from two New Years, the normal New Year and the Western New Year. The latter is celebrated by some Afghans who keep low profiles* and celebrate some-how in their house or in some international or military organ-izations, of course not openly. While the Christian foreigners and International people are getting together in a church somewhere in the middle of Kabul, the armies celebrate in their bases.

A visit from a chaplain is of key importance for the armies and every base expects one. That is not an easy job to undertake for the headquarters. All move-ments, even for a single man, always requires tight security and a convoy, which is not with-out risk. Some bases are located in the “hot zone” and most of the time only air transportation is approved. It is beyond ques-tion, to stroll around the cities particularly in the provinces on your own without a convoy of armoured vehicles.

sAcreD key role

The people in the bases get angry if the Chaplain can’t visit, which may happen for logisti-cal or security reasons and then they select one of their people to say prayers for them. One can see a kind of hope, desire and longing for their families back home and you can see them looking at the photos of their dear ones and wishing them happy New Year on the phone, some with tears in their eyes and some with smiles but still wet eyes.

Now as an asylum seeker I realize the feeling of loneliness, and the desire to be home with dear ones celebrating New Year. Not only loneliness, but a feel-ing of somehow loss and hope, dark and light, good and bad are what strikes me. Despite that fact, you have your dear ones in your memory and the first thing you do is to wish them a happy celebration and New Year.

* Abdul RahmanChristianity – a dangerous choice: Abdul

Rahman, a convert to Christianity, was found with a Bible in February 2006.

This almost caused his death referring to Afghan law - and supported by many

Islamic countries. In other words: Stay-ing in Afghanistan was for him a certain

death. He was released after interna-tional efforts and pressure on the Gov-

ernment. Finally, the Italian Government gave him asylum in Italy.

Samanak is a sweet paste made from germinated wheat, which is boiled. Ladies get together to make it. They sit around the samanak pot on the fire all night and until morning singing songs. They serve the samanak in the morning.

A sweet dish for new year / nowroz

kite flying

Kite flying is a traditional Afghan custom, particularly among children and youth. They play it more often in Kabul. The sky is full of colourful kites and people fly them everywhere in the city, particularly in the hills of Tapai Malang Jan. It was banned by Taliban as an un-Islamic activity.

clothes

Almost all people wear Afghan tradi-tion clothes. Men wear light-coloured pyjamas. Women wear a long colourful dresses with a full skirt.

A buskashi

This is a game of daring and courage; a traditional Afghan horse-riding sport played in the Northern Provinces to celebrate Nowroz. It is played on an open plain with a decapitated calf placed in the centre of the field before the judges. The object of the game is to ride with the carcass around some specific points before dropping the calf back in the centre while the other horse riders try to snatch away the calf and make the run themselves.

strictly prohibited

Nowroz was banned by the Taliban calling it an un-Islamic festival and therefore they put a ban on it during their regime from 1996-2001.

MR. D.N. MARK, PART 1:

“WHen giAnts meet”

short story by Katz ❚

Mr. Denis Nelson Mark, his name was too long and all members who were from that general area found it hard to pronounce. To make easier to pronounce Mr. Noren, Mr. Sweeten, Mr. Jermain, Mr. Finnsand they all agreed to shorten his name to Mr. D.N. Mark. At first this upset Mark because he had a long history with his name. The length of his name had a lot of personal meaning to Mark; he took pride in his full name.

This is why: On the day of his baptism three elders wanted to be Mark’s godfa-ther and this caused a conflict. In order to settle the conflict they all agreed to share the obligation by naming him after their own names, Denis, Nelson, and Mark. On that very day, he also received gifts that brought much wealth and pride to him. One of the gifts given to Mark was a pasture of land, more than what he would actually use.

The men at the general assembly all had many estates and a lot of pas-ture land. This was why they would all sit together on one common table. They all had a common problem as well and that was that there were many animals that were coming from distant estates that wanted to graze on their lands.

As the general assembly began, they all sat down with large cups of beer at a large wooden table, the room was dark because the host of this particular assembly was Mr. D.N. Mark who was rather a very close-fisted gentleman who opted not to use too much light-ing, or central heating. He would rather have the meeting held in a cold, petroleum lamp lit room. He was a short chubby hairy fellow who spoke with a hoarse voice.

As a custom at the beginning of each meeting a creed was always said in honour of the host. So they all stood and Mr. D.N. Mark stood up and spoke:

“There is a lovely estate, it stands with broad beaches near the salty eastern beach, it winds itself in hills, valleys, I call it by my names Denis Nelson Mark and now D.N. Mark .”

They all then took their seats and the meeting was set to begin. Mr. Sweeten was chosen to be secretary of the assembly. The agenda for the meeting consisted of focusing on their problem of animals from far off that were coming to graze on their estates. Mr. Jermain stood up and said:

“Gentlemen, we are all faced with this prob-lem that doesn’t look like

ending even in the near future. We shall need to clas-

sify these animals into groups and know which sort of animals

are allowed to graze. Those that do not meet our set requirements will have to be

sent back the way they came.” Mr. D.N. Mark also suggested that, “we need to isolate

these animals from our own because they may carry dis-eases that may become a problem to our own animals, more so we wouldn’t wish these animals to mate with ours so we

need to isolate them and keep by themselves and under strict supervision”.

There after Mr. Finnsand disagreed with Mr. D.N. Mark and said “Maybe we should allow these animals and welcome them and allow them to intermingle with our own animals, besides we have got enough land that is even more than what we can use.

To this Mr. Noren stood up and said “I do agree with you Mr. Finnsand, we have all this vast wealth and at times we have what is just too much for our animals to finish. Why not allow these ani-mals to stay with us no matter how many they are that come. They bring will more wealth to us in the long run.”

“No!” said Mr. D.N. Mark. “Some of these animals might over-take our farmlands and our own may become the minority, so we do need strict laws against these animals that are coming to our estates”.

“What sort of laws should we set up then?” asked Mr. Sweeten. “Good question,” responded Mr. D.N. Mark, “we should only allow animals that seem to have been wounded or ill fed by their owners and there should be physical proof. They should also have ear tags that would identity of their original estates and proof of being mis-treated by their owners.”

Mr. Jermain suggested: “And if they have proof of physical mis-treatment but lack ear tags, then we can not have them because we will not be able to know whether the mistreatment was self inflicted or it was done by their owners.”

The laws that were proposed were warmly welcomed by all the members and a toast was made and they all drank beer to their new law. Mr. Sweeten handed out a copy of the set laws to each of the members and then adjourned the assembly.

As the men went on back to their individual estates Mr. D.N. Mark was left alone in the conference room still looking at the laws. It seemed as though he was not so satisfied with everything - maybe because he felt that more animals were coming in to his estate more than it was with the rest of the members…What happened next? Follow up of this story in our next issue!


Artist portrait / Jan Pêt Khorto

tHe eternAl scribblerIf there is a charismatic asylum seeker in the real sense, then Jan Pêt Khorto is one. Born Mohammad N. Ahmad in Aleppo City in the North of Syria.

By David ❚

A Kurd of high education, Jan studied Mass Media in Syria where he couldn’t complete his degree because he was expelled for political activities and his poetry that the Government found offensive.

He has been here in Denmark as an asylum seeker for five months now. He is presently editor-in-chief of ID ZONE, a newspaper dealing with issues of asylum seekers in Centre Sigerslev. He is also a member of Dansk Pen (Danish Associa-tion of Writers).

He is not new in this busi-ness as, at the age of 18, he established a newspaper back in Syria in Arabic. He was also founder of “Koma Beje”, a group whose target was to publish a magazine about the Kurds in Arabic. However, the news-paper never saw the light of day because of members being arrested and detained.

Apart from this, Jan is a fine poet and has published 2 books of poems in Arabic called “It’s just never ending words” and “The puzzles”. A third one, which he wrote in Denmark, will be published soon. Presently he is working on a novel.

A cultural man, he has pro-duced some theatre plays like, “Dead can dance” and is also actively involved in the New Times newspaper in Copenha-gen.

life experienceD

When asked how this young man became such a fine poet, journalist, writer, play producer, he answered:

“I am not trained in any insti-tution for these talents, rather I was inspired by the life style,

social and political situations of the Kurds living in Syria, and also by their problems in the four parts of Kurdistan. I get hor-rible feelings everyday hearing about killings, arrests, tortures, marginalization and forced dis-placement. These things have a deep impact on me”, he said.

He wrote the first poem when he was 15 and since then his inspirations have been the situations around him. He had many plans and had hoped to achieve a lot through commu-nicating to the people the idea of love and peace and injus-tice in the world, but now he is trying to harmonize with his new environment, i.e. Denmark, in terms of the culture, lifestyle and the weather.

neW cHAllenges

Asked how he is coping with his new life in Denmark, he said:

“I like the lifestyle because the system is working per-fectly, i.e. the social system, and there are lots of opportunities to improve oneself if you really look for it in the right places.”

In his free time, when not on his busy and hard schedule, he is an ardent reader and painter and listens to classical music to help him relax. Asked what he feels about the Danish women, he replied:

“I like the Scandinavian women so much that they inspired me to write my latest poem. I don’t believe that the women here are as cold as people believe!”

Asked what he doesn’t like about Denmark so far, he answered:

“I find the health care system in Denmark not so good because of long waiting time - and I don’t like the divided

society; the gap between the religions, especially between the Muslims and Christians. I believe that human morals and beliefs should be respected, and I believe in integrating humans together irrespective of race, colour and religion.”

“Overall, though,” he con-tinues, “I feel very well here in Denmark because I have been given the chance to do what I like doing”.

go for it

He has got no regret so far in his life and advises people who already are, or are aspiring to be in this line of work, to feel free and have the will to be what they want to be.

Through and through he thinks he still has a long way to go and when asked about his goal in the future, he said:

“In the nearest future, I hope to improve on things I like so much, such as writing and researching, and I would like to study film-making here in Denmark or Germany. It all depends on what happens with my asylum case, but above all I want to be a world-acclaimed humanity poet”.

Confusions

By Jan Pêt Khorto

Unknown Inspiration CameSneaking SlowlyThrough my imaginationChanting thrill HymnsAbout the Unbelievable PrincessWho lives in the Land of PiratesWhich burned my LandsWith all her Crazy KindnessThat which Gathered my Sprinkled Splinters.

Groan By Jan Pêt Khorto He wavedthe day he was going rebelling to the mountain,kissed me on my foreheadsurrounded me with his armsto implant in my backthe finger’s pain over the years.We were alonekilling timemaking time’s hands drunkwritingsinging togetherhe heard me in an instantan old symphonythe forefathers were involved in,inspired the fingersbecame a prophet, playing on the stringsa song for Shivancalled in Kurdish“Havale bar giranim”Followed by“Welat”, by “Ciwan Haco”to thunder the sky upon usa bridge of tears.Under olive trees, we were singingin the landwhich my father inherited from a spiteful fatherwe drew a dreamon red dustcarved our names on an old trunkto keep the memoryof something missing.Told me secretlyto write characters on the chest of a crazy manto write the story of spiteto a kind motherto write a historyof the landfor peoplewho know only the language of the graves.He stands as a blatant fool“Here I am. Hey land!Here I am. Hey sky!I am a birdaccepting to be slaughtered to be humbleI am denying my body, for an unbelieving soulhere I am releasing the groan of the Ink from my fin-gersto write an epicof blood and tyranny.This I am, who are you?”He put the tambur on his shoulderthen he said“I hand you my penIf I don’t come backwrite to my mother about meand tell her that I found myself...”and started walking singing loudly“Ey Reqip Her”to leave me silent and alone,with no words.

Shivan Perwer - Kurdish singer.“Havale bar giranim” - a song for Shivan meaning the friend with the heavy load.“Welat” - a song for Jiwan meaning home-land.“Ciwan Haco” - Kurdish singer (Jiwan Hajo).“Ey Reqip Her” - the National Song of the Kurds.

page 12 | issue # 77 | DeCemBeR 2009 | New times

Groan By Jan Pêt Khorto He wavedthe day he was going rebelling to the mountain,kissed me on my foreheadsurrounded me with his armsto implant in my backthe finger’s pain over the years.We were alonekilling timemaking time’s hands drunkwritingsinging togetherhe heard me in an instantan old symphonythe forefathers were involved in,inspired the fingersbecame a prophet, playing on the stringsa song for Shivancalled in Kurdish“Havale bar giranim”Followed by“Welat”, by “Ciwan Haco”to thunder the sky upon usa bridge of tears.Under olive trees, we were singingin the landwhich my father inherited from a spiteful fatherwe drew a dreamon red dustcarved our names on an old trunkto keep the memoryof something missing.Told me secretlyto write characters on the chest of a crazy manto write the story of spiteto a kind motherto write a historyof the landfor peoplewho know only the language of the graves.He stands as a blatant fool“Here I am. Hey land!Here I am. Hey sky!I am a birdaccepting to be slaughtered to be humbleI am denying my body, for an unbelieving soulhere I am releasing the groan of the Ink from my fin-gersto write an epicof blood and tyranny.This I am, who are you?”He put the tambur on his shoulderthen he said“I hand you my penIf I don’t come backwrite to my mother about meand tell her that I found myself...”and started walking singing loudly“Ey Reqip Her”to leave me silent and alone,with no words.

Shivan Perwer - Kurdish singer.“Havale bar giranim” - a song for Shivan meaning the friend with the heavy load.“Welat” - a song for Jiwan meaning home-land.“Ciwan Haco” - Kurdish singer (Jiwan Hajo).“Ey Reqip Her” - the National Song of the Kurds.

neW times WitH novo norDiskBack in September, New Times reporter Akram tagged along when Novo Nordisk executives invited a group of asylum seekers for a day of broadening horizons.

By akram ❚

In September 2009, sixteen young manag-ers from Novo Nordisk met with a group of asylum seekers, spending a full ten-hour day together learning about each other’s life.

The day started at the Red Cross House on H.C. Ørstedsvej, with an exercise where the young managers from Novo Nordisk had brought photos from their early child-hood and then the asylum seekers had to say which picture belonged to whom.

It was a nice trick to get the talking started between the asylum seekers and Novo Nordisk participants. By the time the group left for the asylum centre Sjæls-mark by bus, the participants were already friends and were looking forward to know-ing more about each other.

After lunch and a tour around the centre, the next stop was the conference hotel “Kollekolle” where the Novo Nordisk par-ticipants where staying. Here, some of the asylum seekers opened up about their situ-ation and felt lighter when they found kind hearts that were bleeding with them and sharing their pain.

By the end of the day all the participants shook hands and some exchanged emails and then the asylum seekers went back to the unknown future waiting for them in their centres.

A DAy off

It was clear to everyone how wonderful it was for the asylum seekers to meet a group of people like the managers from Novo Nordisk, and for a few hours feel a kind of brotherhood with new friends. Asmahan,

one of the participating asylum seekers, said:

“It was full of information and enjoy-ment, that day we spent with the members from Novo Nordisk. We had the chance to talk about ourselves, as well as the luck to find good listeners in the Novo Nordisk managers. It was useful and lovely experi-ence. Now we have a lot of new friends.”

“The feeling of equality and the hospi-tality affected me a lot,” Hairar, another asylum seeker, remarked. “In those ten hours,” she continued, “I could get myself out the daily routine and feel like myself with people that I really enjoyed being with. When I left Iraq, I hoped to start a new life, find a job and enjoy the security, but in these eight months that I have been stay-ing in the centres, I have been depressed by the daily routine. This was a break for me, I could finally feel that I am equal with non-asylum seekers in Denmark.”

Deep impressions

But not only the asylum seekers will keep a fond memory of this day. When asked about the reactions of the Novo Nordisk participants, Ove lit up in a big smile:

“All of the feedback from our manag-ers was positive. I would like to thank the asylum seekers from the bottom of my heart, they welcomed us into their world and life. They lit something somewhere in our hearts, I don’t know what it is, but we are so grateful for that. In one of the feed-back notes was written: This experience gave me something I could not get before and I will carry it with me the rest of my entire life.”

Indeed, the meeting with the asylum seekers made a deep impression on this group of Danes, who had never before been exposed to the realities of asylum life.

“In Sjælsmark centre, it was almost too much for me to handle,” Ove confessed. “The asylum seekers who are staying there know the centre will shut down in a few months, but they just arrived from war and don’t know where they will have to go next, but they keep their composure.”

He also expressed his joy over the participants from both sides staying in touch after the event:

“I know many of them exchange emails. I person-ally have received 2 CVs and tried to help with writing them and then to pass them on. With this economic crisis it is dif-ficult to find jobs, I really wish I could help more.”

WortH repeAting

It was the first project of this kind for both the Red Cross and Novo Nordisk. But the success of the day means that it may not be the last.

“At the moment a lot of people are coming to Denmark to apply for asylum. We have to find new centres, new classes, new teachers, etc. I’d love to continue with projects like these, but we are so busy at the moment in Red Cross.” Birgitte Steno, leader of the Red Cross School department, explained.

“But the cooperation with Novo Nordisk was very good and I would certainly accept more offers from them”.

In fact, the day went so well that wishes have been expressed to extend the project to other companies as well:

“The government here in Denmark wants all the companies to try and take social responsibility. Maybe we should try to contact some other companies or maybe Novo Nordisk could help us with this, they have their own connections too.”

Asked whether they think there is a possi-bility for other future activities with asylum seekers, both Ove and Henrik agreed:

“Yes, we would love to meet the asylum seekers again. In fact, we are in talks with the Red Cross about this, but it will take a little time to find the best way of doing it. We are looking forward to it hopefully hap-pening within the next six months.”

“We really wanted to bring out the idea of diversity and the interest in social activities in our managers. We wanted to meet some other groups in society and make something together that’s not only about money.”Henrik Hjort,Novo Nordisk



freQuently AskeD QuestionsAND NOT SO FREQUENTLY FOUND ANSWERS

Asylum seekers often carry around a million unanswered questions. Below are some of them – and more important, the answers that New Times has rooted out.

By David ❚

Q: My case has been decided and I was given ‘positive’. How do I get my family to Denmark?

A: Once you have been granted asylum and have received your Danish residence permit, you are allowed to apply for family reunification for your spouse (or registered partner) as well as for your children who are under the age of 15. The applica-tion for reunification is available on-line along with the rules regarding the process, which can be complicated. For reunification with a spouse, the Danish Government must recognize the mar-riage as legal, be able to verify that it was entered into voluntarily by both partners, and must not believe that the marriage was made for the sole purpose of gaining entry into Denmark. To verify this, they take into consideration the age of the partners, when and where they were married, how long the spouses lived together, whether or not there are any children, among many other factors. The Danish Government also requires that if the spouse moves to Denmark, he/she must reside with their partner, and the household must meet certain size and quality requirements. If the Danish Government grants the applica-tion for reunification, the spouse will be issued a temporary residence permit that will need to be renewed periodically once the spouse has moved to Denmark. If you separate or divorce within 7 years, your spouse will lose their residence permit.

Reunification with children can also be attained through submitting an application to the Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Inte-gration Affairs. There are various conditions: the children must be under the age of 15 and must not have started their own families in their home country. The Danish Government puts a lot of effort into ensuring that it is in the best interest of the child to be moved to Denmark. They look at whether or not the child has been abused, and if the parents have the proper accommodation

in Denmark and can care for the child. Children are also granted temporary residence permits, which must be renewed and extended, subject to your meeting the requirements. It can take several months to a year for your application to be processed. Q: What categories of people can be deported? In some countries, old people and sick people are exempted. What is the situation in Denmark? A: Once a case has received a final rejection, there are no other avenues of appeal open, and the applicant must leave the country immediately. The government permits the applicant a little time to prepare for departure. In cases where the applicant is extremely ill, in a late stage of preg-nancy, or has recently given birth, the authorities will allow a reasonable amount of time until the applicant must leave the country. However, all of these exemptions are temporary, and eventu-ally the government will require you to leave the country. There are no exemptions from depor-tation, unless you are granted a humanitarian residence permit from the Ministry of Refugee, Immigration, and Integration Affairs. These per-mits are granted only in extreme cases when there are significant humanitarian reasons to do so. These situations might include serious physical or psychological illness, or if your home nation is unsafe for your children. You can apply to the Ministry for a humanitarian permit, which is usually granted for 6 months or a year and has to be renewed. Q: Is it possible for an asylum seeker to marry a for-eign- or EU-national in Denmark? A: In theory, it should be possible for an asylum seeker to marry a Danish or EU citizen while in Denmark. However, the risk is that the Danish Government might categorize this marriage as

a ‘pro forma marriage’. This means that, in terms of attaining a residence permit through your Danish or EU partner, the government believes that the marriage was formed for the sole pur-pose of gaining residence in Denmark, and the application will be refused. Once married, you have to apply for family reunification and the government is very cautious about this. They take into consideration the length of the marriage, how long the spouses have known each other, whether or not the spouses can communicate in the same language, whether the spouses have ever lived together at a shared address, how well the parties knew each other before marrying, and whether the spouses have any children together. The Ministry will also consider whether or not you and your spouse could not live together in your country. Therefore, if you wish to marry an EU or Foreign National in Denmark, you must be careful, because this may not ensure that you can attain a residence permit to stay in Denmark. Q: What does it mean if my case is declared ‘Mani-festly Unfounded?’ What happens after a case has been thus declared? A: A case which is declared ‘manifestly unfounded’ means that, in the eyes of the Danish Immigra-tion Service, there is no information indicating that you have been or could be persecuted in your home country, i.e. you have no claim to seek asylum. These cases are then sent to the Danish Refugee Council for consideration. If the Refu-gee Council agrees that the case is manifestly unfounded, then the application will be rejected, and you will be required to leave Denmark. If the Refugee Council disagrees with the Immigration Service’s assessment, the case will go before the Refugee Board. Once cases designated as mani-festly unfounded have received a final rejection from the Refugee Board, or Immigration Service, the applicant will be required to leave Denmark immediately.

Source: www.nyidanmark.dk

Photo: Freefoto.com


By Legend ❚

He possesses an eye for art in all its forms and takes meticu-lous care in the production of his drawings. By looking at Jimmy’s drawings, you would think he has attended the most renowned art schools and has a degree in the subject, but Jim-my’s history is quite different.

Almost twenty-five years ago, between the ages of four and five, Jimmy was still in his home country of Burundi when

he picked up the pencil to draw for the first time. At five years of age most of us draw pictures which are considered cute in their childish detail of objects which we wish to copy and reproduce on paper, but Jimmy was and still is a special case.

He is determined to make accurate reproductions and show great details in his work:

“I like to express myself in my work, my thoughts and feelings and opinions, and since this is how I express myself I like to make accurate representations of my feelings,” he says.

self-tAugHt brilliAnce

His childhood is akin to that of the famous Pablo Picasso in terms of the age when he started to draw and the time of his first recognized masterpiece, but, the similarities end there!

Jimmy never attended any Art School, nor did he learn by copying the works of other art-ists nor did he get his talent from a member of either his close or extended family. Draw-

ing has more of an innate nature to Jimmy and this is shown simply by how long it takes him to create a work of art. In just about half an hour I saw Jimmy create a work of art which was worth publishing into the newspaper!

“Its very easy for me to draw, its like second nature you know, a part of me!”

Jimmy is simply a person who loves art, he can draw any-thing that ranges from portraits to cartoons, even reproduce pho-tographs of people in an artistic fashion. He gets his inspiration from everyday experiences, politics, social issues, he even takes trips to the museum to see works by his “fellow” artists. He wishes to continue his drawing and maybe pursue a career in art and maybe even begin to teach children and adults how to draw:

“I want to make a career of art,maybe teach, both kids and adults... also expand my skills as learning is a never ending process...”

Artist portrait / Jimmy

Art on timeFlick through the pages of this maga-zine, then you will surely see Jimmy’s extremely detailed and satirical car-toons.

cHAnging times At WWW.neWtimes.Dk Miracles do still happen. Visit www.newtimes.dk and see for yourself.Team New Times presents for you a brand new web design with new features such as the possibility to post comments on articles and a newsletter service that enhances the overall expe-rience considerably.

Go and bookmark us among your favourites, sign up for the newsletter and enjoy the new surroundings.

Most importantly: read all the latest stories and asylum news – written by absolute experts.

See you there!

Make money – not peace


new times put on the new year’s hat and went for a walk in the narrow streets of the Danish capital. We met a lot of people and we asked them the following questions: 1. What will your new year’s resolutions for 2010 be?

2. What are your hopes for the new year for yourself?

3. What are your hopes for the new year for Denmark?

vox popBy Anosh and Michael

sibel1. “i would like to quit smoking and to be more interested in school and do all my homework.” 2. “i think i just want to be more ambitious more than anything else. i am not the kind of person that expects things much from myself - i just do them. i don’t plan much. i want to change this behaviour.” 3. “i think that the system ought to be changed a bit.”

Anna1. “i think everyone would say peace on earth. to be a tidier person in the coming year: mentally and physically.”

2. “that i keep my job! i lost my job in the spring because the company went bust and i am at this company now and i hope i keep it.” 3. “that the government becomes more lenient towards different people, people from different origins.”

troels1. “i want to work less - fewer hours. time is one of your most valuable resources and i want to spend that on myself and my family and personal education.” 2. “to be able to travel more and work fewer hours.” 3. “i think i would like to see some of the hate against foreigners eroded. it’s not that big a problem in Denmark but there’s still some problems. i would like to sort that out, or hopefully that it will be sorted out.”

samuel1. “i want to practice more sports and stay fit. i want to swim, play football, and keep strong.”

2. “i wish to have a peaceful year.”

3. “i wish that Denmark has a good year and that the financial crisis finally ends. Also, Denmark should do a mass amnesty!”

Aria1. “i want to start kickboxing and kung-fu and quit smoking.” 2. “i hope i receive positive. i would like to be a translator: specifically, Danish, english, pashtu, and Dari.”

3. “i would like Denmark to help with literacy programs for immigrants and refugees.”

phillip1. “stop partying so much and focus more on my studies.”

2. “my hope for myself is to get my diploma from biomedical school.” 3. “i hope that politicians are going to make it easier for foreigners to come in. i want them to be more open for students. for exchange students it is quite difficult to come to Denmark. And i want them to focus on this.”

Atina1. “i would like to do more activities. to feel fresh again - i think i will play volleyball.”

2. “i want to continue my education. in iran, i studied commercial management and i want to do a masters here related to this.”

3. “Well, i would want to see more signs in english in public spaces and in transportation. Also, i wish people were friendlier when i ask for directions in english. When i ask, they respond in Danish and i don’t understand. so i hope Denmark becomes more open to other languages.”

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