Each new year’s morning, Berlin resembles a war zone. Without fail, the streets of the German capital – usually relatively tidy – are strewn with the remains of a citywide party the night before.
Remainders of fireworks protrude from empty sparkling wine bottles, empty banger cases blow down streets where crows pick through overflowing bins and discarded fast-food cartons.
As if the rubbish wasn’t bad enough, it can take at least a week for city cleaners to tackle the mess.
That gave Scharjil Khalid an idea. The young imam at an eastern Berlin mosque is part of a nationwide Muslim youth network and, all going well, at least 10,000 young people will turn out in 240 towns and cities early on January 1st. After prayers and breakfast, they will don gloves, grab brushes and fill bin bags.
The initiative is not just about restoring
Continue Reading on The Irish Times
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.