Seyran Ates

Seyran Ateş (born 1963) is a German lawyer born in Istanbul, Turkey. Her article "Making multiculturalism work" [http://www.signandsight.com/features/313.html] "Multiculturalism" details how the far left in Germany tolerates sexism and violence against women when it is done in the name of Islam . In a judgement regarding whether an Islamic schoolgirl could be exempted from gym class on March 24, 1994 (InfAuslR 8/92, S. 269) [http://www.signandsight.com/features/352.html] , she quotes the ruling of a higher administrative court in Bremen: "...it is irrelevant that adolescent Muslim women are prevented by the demands of their religion from achieving equal status as women in Western society..."

Her views, highly critical of an immigrant Muslim society that is often more conservative than its counterpart in Turkey, have put her at risk. [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17847605] In an interview in January 2008, Ateş stated that she is now in hiding and will not be working on Muslim women's behalf publicly (including in court) due to the threats against her. In one particular incident, she and her client were attacked by a woman's husband in a German courthouse in front of onlookers who did nothing. [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17847605]

External links

*In Germany, Muslims grow apart http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/02/news/islam7.php
*Tolerance for the tolerant http://www.signandsight.com/features/352.html