WELCOME TO THE STADE DISTRICT!
Do you come from another country and from a different culture? Are you new to the district of Stade? Are you not yet familiar with your rights in Germany? No matter which country you come from, you have the same rights as every other woman who lives here in Germany and the same rights as every other man. This is written in the German constitution, which we refer to as the "Basic Law". (www.deutsches.grundgesetz.de).
The Constitution is above politics, above the police, above the judiciary and above every religion. The Basic Law protects people in Germany and it stipulates, for example, that every person has certain fundamental democratic rights. This Basic Law also states that men and women have equal rights:
WOMEN AND MEN HAVE EQUAL RIGHTS!
The district of Stade is happy to welcome you, and we respect you. So that all people here can live together in peace, we all need to treat each other with respect – and this also includes accepting European values and German laws.
RELIGION IS A PRIVATE MATTER!
Every individual can decide for him- or herself whether he/she wants to believe in Allah, in God, or in another “God”. Every woman and every man can choose their religion. No person (not even your partner) may dictate which religious community you should belong to or whether, e.g., you should live without faith in a god. Germany respects persons who have a different faith, and the peaceful coexistence of many different cultures is desired. This also includes respecting the various places of worship such as churches, synagogues, mosques, etc. As a Muslim woman in Germany, you can decide for yourself whether you want to wear a headscarf or not. Anyone who discriminates against people because of their faith, skin colour or clothing acts in a racist manner. In Germany, for example, insulting or excluding someone is not allowed. So nobody is allowed to exclude you because you don't wear a headscarf or because you do wear one.
YOUR RIGHT TO YOUR OWN OPINION!
Every person in Germany has the right to express his own opinion, to speak freely or publish it. This is a fundamental German right. Newspapers may also express critical opinions that, for instance, criticise the state. In doing so, however, other people or also groups of people may not be hurt. Needless to say, everyone needs to respect other persons’ freedom of opinion!
WOMEN AND MEN HAVE EQUAL RIGHTS!
Every woman has the right to decide for herself how she would like to live her life, e.g. if and in which profession she would like to work, whether or not she would like to be married, and whether or not she would like to have children. Women can also decide to live on their own. In Germany, people are allowed to be in a homosexual relationship. This means that a woman may also love a woman or a man may love another man and marry him. When spouses want to get divorced, both of them have the right to do so. The children themselves can decide whether they would like to stay with the mother or the father, or the courts decide when the parents can’t come to a mutual agreement.
