Islam in Germany
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Owing to work migration of the 1960s and several waves of political refugees since the 1970s, Islam became a visible religion in Germany. As of 2006, according to U.S. Department of State, there are 3.2 million Muslims (roughly 4% of the population) [1]. Islam is the largest minority religion in the country, with the Protestant and Roman Catholic confessions being the majority religions. The large majority of Muslims in Germany is of Turkish origin (over 90%), followed by smaller groups the former Yugoslavia, Arab countries, Iran and Afghanistan. Most Muslims live in Berlin and the big cities of former West Germany. However, unlike in most other European countries, except Austria and the German speaking part of Switzerland, sizeable communities exist in some rurals regions of Germany, especially Baden-Württemberg, Hessen and parts of Bavaria and North-Rhine Westphalia. Owing to the lack of labor immigration before 1989 there are only very few Muslims in the former GDR. Most Muslims in Germany are Sunnis. There are some members of the Shia, mostly from Lebanon. Furthermore many Turks are Alevis.
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[edit] Organisations
Only a minority of the Muslims residing in Germany are members of religious associations. The ones with the highest numerical strength are:
- Diyanet İşleri Türk İslam Birliği (DİTİB): German branch of the Turkish Presidency for Religious Affairs, Cologne
- Islamische Gemeinschaft Milli Görüş: close to the Islamist Saadet Partisi in Turkey, Kerpen near Cologne
- Islamische Gemeinschaft Jamaat un-Nur: German branch of the Risale-i Nur Society (Said Nursi)
- Verband der islamischen Kulturzentren: German branch of the conservative Süleymancı sect in Turkey, Cologne
- Islamische Gemeinschaft in Deutschland organization of Arab Muslims close to the Muslim Brotherhood, Frankfurt
- Verband der Islamischen Gemeinden der Bosniaken: Bosnian Muslims, Kamp-Lintfort near Duisburg
Furthermore there are the following umbrella organisations:
- Zentralrat der Muslime in Deutschland, domimated by the "Islamische Gemeinschaft in Deutschland" and the "Islamisches Zentrum Aachen"
- Islamrat in Deutschland, dominated by Islamische Gemeinschaft Milli Görüş and its suborganisations
In addition there are numerous local associations without affiliation to any of these organisations. Two organisations have been banned in 2002 because their programme was judged as contrary to the constitution: The "Hizb ut-Tahrir" and the so called "Caliphate State" founded by Cemalettin Kaplan and later lead by his son Metin Kaplan.
[edit] Controversies
Since Islam is not a traditional religion in Germany and since most problems with migration into Germany focus on this religious point, currently there are several intensive disputes about the place of Islam in the German state and society.
Currently discussed topics are the head-scarf worn by teachers in schools and universities. The freedom of belief enjoined by the teacher contradicts in the view of many the neutral stance of the state towards religion; many people also see the head-scarf mainly as a political symbol of the oppression of women even though many Muslim women reject this view. As of 2006, many of the German federal states have introduced legislation banning head-scarves for teachers. It is almost clear 2006 that these laws will prove to be constitutional. However, unlike in France, there are no laws against the wearing of head-scarves by students.
In the German federal states with the exception of Bremen, Berlin and Brandenburg, lessons of religious education overseen by the respective religious communities are taught as a regular subject in public schools. It is being discussed whether apart from the Catholic and Protestant (and in a few schools, Jewish) religious education that currently exists, a comparable subject of Islamic religious education should be introduced. However all efforts to deal with the issue in cooperation with the existing Islamic organisations is due to the dilemma, that none of them can be considered a representative of the whole Muslim community.
The construction of mosques occasionally arouses hostile reactions in the respective neighborhoods.
Fears of religious fundamentalism came into the focus of attention after September 11, 2001, especially in relation to a renewed religious fundamentalism of second- and third-generation Muslims in Germany. Also the various confrontations between Islamic religious law (Sharia) and the norms of German Grundgesetz and culture are being discussed hotly. German critics come also from the rank of the liberals and from Christian circles. The first claim that Islamic fundamentalism violates basic fundamental rights whereas the latter see Germany as a state and society grounded in the Christian tradition.
Roland Weisselberg, a priest, burned himself in November, 2006 in protest of the spread of Islam in Germany and the inability of the church to contain its spread.[1]
[edit] Islam and German intellectual life
Several prominent figures of German-language intellectual life are known for their positive attitude to Islam:
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (poet)
- Friedrich Rückert (First translator of the Koran into German)
- Annemarie Schimmel (Scholar on Sufism)
- Hans Küng (dissident Catholic theologian at Tübingen university, a Swiss national)
[edit] See also
- Islamic Centre Hamburg
- Islam
- Islam in Austria
- Islam in Switzerland
- Religion in Germany
- Islamic dress controversy in Europe
[edit] References
- ^ Crossland, David. "Priest burns himself to death over Islam", Times Online, 2006-11-13. Retrieved on November 11, 2006. (in English)
[edit] External links
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