Islam for the Diaspora revisited
In this Der Spiegel article religious scholar Rauf Ceylan discusses the role of the imam in Germany. He advocates for a “homegrown” imam who can modernize the religion and its practice in a new nation. As imams are currently imported from abroad for four-year periods, Islamic leaders are not fully equipped to lead a German […]
International Right-Wingers Gather for EU-Wide Minaret Ban
An upcoming conference to be held in Germany this weekend seeks to discuss the possibility of an EU-wide minaret ban. The conference, hosted by the German right-wing group called Pro-NRW, will be attended by other conservative parties from throughout Europe as they gather to “discuss the dangers of Islam.” Members of such parties see minarets […]
new synagogue built in herford.
This Sunday, a new synagogue was opened in the German town of Herford, which had been without a synagogue since its last one was destroyed over 70 years ago during Kristallnacht. There had been a pressing need in the community for a genuine place of worship, as the prayer room in a Jewish school nearby […]
WWII Compensation: Ghetto Laborers Still Waiting for German Pensions
Germany passed a Ghetto Pension Law in 2002 that would give a small amount of money to Jews who held steady jobs in concentration camps, in order to “close a gap in the country’s Nazi-era compensation.” However, over 90 percent of applicants are being denied, and each day more and more Holocaust survivors are dying […]
German minister says headscarf ban could backfire
Thomas de Maiziere, Germany interior minister and member of the CDU, expressed to a newspaper his worry of a backlash against Christian symbols if Germany were to ban headscarves. Additionally, he said he would be fine if a woman were to wear a headscarf in his ministry if it as an expression of religious belief, […]
Leading conservative calls for more immigrant naturalisation
In this article it is suggested that a more successful integration can be achieved if Germany worked harder at naturalizing members of its large immigrant population. In this way a more inclusive environment could perhaps open up a discourse to better examine the problems that many immigrants (and children of immigrants) face in Germany today. […]
Juden in Deutschland: Leben statt mahnen
Die jüdische Gemeinschaft in Deutschland wandelt sich dramatisch – durch Einwanderer aus Russland und durch eine junge Generation, für die der Holocaust und Israel weit weg sind.
Did German Officers violate the terms of their service?
This article addresses the issue of Germany’s federal police officers not complying with the laws in Iran. These men allegedly had affairs with an Iranian woman. This is not only embarrassing for Germany, but life threatening for the woman, and very important for the way German-Iranian relations might develop. There is also a claim that […]
Knobloch to step down as leader of Germany’s Jews
Charlotte Knobloch, the last leader of Germany’s Central Council of Jews to come from the generation of the Holocaust survivors, will not seek re-election in November in order to “consciously bring about a generational change.” Her likely successor, Dieter Graumann, hopes to shift public sentiment toward the positive aspects of Judaism. The full article can […]
Far-Right Rhetoric Germany’s Very Own Minaret Debate Turns Nasty
This article speaks to the recent debate over the building of minarets on mosques in many countries within the European Union. It is another instance of contention over the perceived “Islamicization” of Europe through the increased visibility of Islam in European cities. In this article (which focuses on a small town in Westphalia) Islam is […]