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The German government was slammed Wednesday after it emerged that officials in Cologne issued “information for refugees” about the city’s carnival, which warns migrants and asylum seekers against urinating and defecating in public and “teaches” them how to behave towards women.
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#Germany: 'Please don't rape children' pamphlets handed out to "refugees" in Cologne. pic.twitter.com/N214G3ljYE
— Henry Thoreau (@Thoreau_H_D)
January 27, 201
“In the Rhineland region, everyone can join in during carnival” but “we must treat each other with respect and observe the law,” the leaflet reads. “’Butzen’ means kissing somebody on the cheek, one of our carnival customs. Sexual overtures are strictly prohibited. Women and men must always consent to the ‘butzen’. No means no!”
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The leaflet was printed by the the organizers of this year’s Cologne and Bonn carnivals and was written in several languages including English, French, Arabic and Farsi.
Refugees presents flowers in Cologne https://t.co/2DRtSpF2Wz pic.twitter.com/Sg26OqJxKj
— Son Dakika / +49 (@sondakika49)
January 18, 201
The move by officials in Cologne comes less than a month after hundreds of women in the city reported being sexually harassed and assaulted, allegedly by migrants and refugees during the celebrations of New Year’s Eve.
A police report said up to 1,000 drunken men, mainly of “Arab or North African origin” were responsible for robbing and attacking women on the night.
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The leaflet also stressed that urinating in public is “strictly prohibited,” and invited the refugees to enjoy the Carnival and its activities.
Syrian refugees in Cologne protesting against sexism. Pictures via Juliane Herrmann. Get these pictures out there! pic.twitter.com/Z19V5ia3XK
— Rohan Nagel (@RohanNagel1997)
January 17, 201
It further mentions that consuming alcohol during the Carnival will be widespread. However, Muslim refugees, most of them Muslims who might adhere to the Islamic prohibition of alcohol, could still enjoy it.
“(W)hile many Cologne locals drink beer or other alcoholic beverages during Carnival, it is of course not compulsory. You can have fun, sing and dance just as easily without alcohol,” the leaflet said.
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In 2015, Germany took in more than 900,000 refugees. According to the local Die Welt, more than half of the potential refugees—about 484,000 migrants—came from Syria.
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