What is Amal Berlin?

Mr. Noorullah Rahmani is a 47 years old Afghan journalist who has lived for about five years in Hennigsdorf (Brandenburg, Germany) and has got four children. He has worked with Dari and Pashto department of DW radio in Germany. He has also worked with Tolo TV, Tolo News, Lemar and Arman FM in Afghanistan. Due to the threat for broadcasting a news report about killing 20 Afghans in the border between Iran and Afghanistan and other threats, he has been reluctantly forced to leave the country. Mr. Rahmani is now working with Amal Berlin, and we asked him about it.

Y4M: What is Amal Berlin?

Mr. Rahmani: Amal Berlin is a news website working in German, Arabic and Farsi/Dari. The priority of this web page in the first step is to present news from Berlin and Germany. It also covers important events which took place in all parts of the world. 10 journalists work for Amal Berlin; 7 of them know Arabic, 2 know Dari, and one Farsi language. It means three people work in Farsi/Dari section. At first (two months period) we have been trained by German, Arabic, Afghan, and Iranian professional journalists for 8 hours a day on journalism and the rules in Germany. Trainings on photography, video recording, video and photo editing, copyright rules and other relevant issues were included.

Y4M: Why Amal Berlin has started to work?

Mr. Rahmani: Since the number of asylum seekers with Arabic, Dari and Farsi languages is more in Berlin, hence the Protestant School of Journalism decided to offer them important news of Berlin and Germany with their own native language. People who are in charge of the project also claim that for the newcomers learning German is difficult so we need to give them news from Berlin and Germany with their native languages.

Y4M: How Amal Berlin works?

Mr. Rahmani: Each parts publish 5 short important news stories from Berlin, Germany or around the world in every morning. In addition, it covers press conferences and important events in Berlin which publish in a long report format. It also has video reports. At least one report should be publish by each part in a week.

Y4M: What would be Amal Berlin in the future?

Mr. Rahmani: As far as I know, if the website is a success to attract viewers, its news coverage would be wider than Berlin and Germany in the future.

Y4M: How Amal Berlin influences the audience?

Mr. Rahmani: Amal Berlin tries to choose articles which would be attractive for refugees. For instance; the integration of immigrants into German society, work and other relevant issues which they need to know about this society. Amal Berlin offers that all in their own native languages. We publish attractive articles in long reports and video formats. Although it is about one month Amal Berlin has started, the number of visitors is satisfactory. You can find our website here: http://amalberlin.de/?lang=de

 

interviewee: Mr. Noorullah Rahmani
interviewer: Mohammad Elias Hatimi

 

Suggestions