Ruby Haji Naif

My research examines how Syrians in Germany negotiate social inclusion through participation in public spaces as activists, artists, content creators, performers, and stand-up comedians. It explores how modes of public visibility, both virtually and on the ground, including arts, performance, and stand-up comedy, enable them to contest racial, social, and/or religious marginalisation and assert their cultural citizenship within Germany. The research explores how Syrians navigate the dynamics of visibility and belonging in Berlin's public discourse. It looks at how alternative public spaces such as stand-up comedy clubs, art exhibitions, and cultural hubs serve as arenas to negotiate prevailing German national imaginaries concerning Muslim and Middle Eastern minorities’ position and belonging within Germany. It asks how individuals, such as Syrians, who are marginalised by mainstream German citizenship respond to it and what strategies they employ while drawing upon specific resources and opportunity spaces. Why do some Syrians seek to achieve public visibility through comedy, music, art, and other means? Is the primary objective to be included in the German social contract, or are there broader aspirations behind their engagement in these forms of expression?