It has now been over 10 days since German archeologist and aid worker Susanne Osthofff disappeared in Iraq and the German government still says it has no information as to her whereabouts or condition. But even as time has passed, German attention to the fate of Osthoff has not.

Indeed, over the weekend, Osthoff's mother once again made headlines across the country by virtue of her second public plea to her daughter's abductors to return Susanne to safety. A number of radical Muslims both in Germany and abroad -- and most notably including radical Iraqi Shiite Muktada al-Sadr -- have called for Osthoff's release.

The Financial Times Deutschland is not alone on Monday in trying to emphasize the positive even in the midst of such a negative situation. The paper notes, almost dutifully, that when German national Susanne Osthoff, 43, was kidnapped in Iraq ten days ago with her driver, it put an end to the illusion that the war in Iraq was not Germany's war -- and thus not Germany's problem. And although there has been no discernible improvement in her predicament, there has been "discernible progress in the reactions -- not just in Germany, but most notably in Iraq -- evoked by this case. The condemnation of this deed is unanimous and has been articulated more broadly than in other cases," observes the financial daily. The fact that Iraqis are taking a stand is decisive. "Slowly the insight is taking hold that all acts of violence only hurt the country itself and hinder its arduous reconstruction."

The left leaning Die Tageszeitung also discusses the importance of the appeals by political, business, religious and other leaders calling for the release of Susanne Osthoff. "This shows the tormented Iraqis that western societies take an interest in the terrible excesses and the daily drama in Iraq. Susanne Osthoff is just as innocent a victim as thousands of Iraqi civilians." The paper recalls that France demonstrated to the world how to react in such a situation when French hostages were taken, and the resulting dynamic that public condemnation and demonstrations set into motion in Iraq. Perhaps noting that the response has been more subdued in this country, the paper writes, "Germany appears to be taking the same path. Further actions should follow."

The Süddeutsche Zeitung turns away slightly from the drama of the Osthoff kidnapping and instead ponders "The Islamic Paradox" in a rumination on the modern history of Islam and the Western Way. Specifically, the elections in Egypt come in for dissection. The writer quotes Taha Hussein, a great Egyptian Muslim intellectual who declared in the 1930s, that "we must follow the path of the Europeans in order to be their equal partners in civilization." At the same time, Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood, called for a society "based on Islamic principles." The situation is similar today, with the desire by George Bush to bring democracy to the Middle East. The paradox today, however, is that "in Egypt, whoever sets his sights on democracy, like the Americans, won't get the desired results: If the people are allowed to vote…then the Muslem Brotherhood would win. In Algeria, a similar development led to a murderous civil war." This paradox holds true for the rest of the region as well. Yet the problem is with the despotic clans ruling the countries, the paper is quick to point out, because Islam is not inherently anti-democratic. The writer concludes with the platitudinal observation that "in Islamic countries, as in Europe, no one is better equipped to reflect the will of the people than a parliament. The path that the Islamic world now chooses to take will decide its future."

Meanwhile, the Berliner Zeitung comments on the call by deputy CDU parliamentary leader Wolfgang Bosbach to arrest and detain foreigners suspected of being terrorists. "An excellent idea, which plays into the intentions of the terrorists to constantly heighten the fears of western societies and cut back the substance of the rights guaranteed by the constitution," snorts the editorialist. Bosbach's request could lead to innocent people being robbed of their freedom. Indeed, says the left-leaning paper, "Islamist terrorists have just achieved another lovely success."

But even as German dailies look across the country's borders to examine the goings on in Iraq and the Muslim world, a number of commentators prefer to stick closer to home. Specifically, Monday is the day when Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats -- together with their sister party the Christian Social Union -- take a closer look at the party's election-night flop. Prior to the Sept. 18 general elections, it looked as though the two parties were set to rake in more than 40 percent of the vote. They managed a measly 35.2 percent. More importantly, what was the party doing wrong as to place third behind the SPD and PDS in the former East Germany? After all, former Chancellor Helmut Kohl and his CDU, made reunification a reality when the SPD had cold feet.

The Süddeutsche Zeitung sees a parallel to the fairy tale, Rumpelstilskin. Like the miller's daughter, Angela Merkel took straw -- i.e. the paltry lead in the election -- and turned it into the gold of the chancellorship. "This work of art drove (CSU Chief Edmund) Stoiber into political insanity and the CDU, so blinded by the gold as to become speechless, forgot how they ever got to such a miserable election result." Referring to the CDU's poor showing in the East, the editorialist notes that the CDU "lost its dominance on the political landscape." Indeed the story has a reverse-Rumpelstilskin component as well: Merkel and the CDU managed to take the gold of a certain victory and turn it into a near loss. How? The reasons were many, but "the most important was that the CDU gave up its competence in social issues…and neglected to further develop the social market economy it originated, to lift it up to a european level and make it stronger in the face of globalism." Indeed, Merkel's call to "dare more freedom," was, according to the editorialist, "a false motto at the wrong time. The problem is not freedom, but solidarity -- between old and young, East and West, poor and rich. The divide between extremely rich and socially weak in Germany not only got bigger over the last 15 years in Germany, it has been ripped apart." According to the paper, "The CDU needs a mission for the people in order to remain a party for the people."