Report Backs Teaching Of Islam at German Universities
This article discusses a German advisory council’s recommendation that centers for Islamic studies be set up at universities throughout the country. The Council also recommended that Muslim authorities be given the power to choose who teaches these courses. Despite Germany’s large Muslim population there are few outlets in universities to educate individuals regarding Muslim theology. […]
Banning the ‘Burqa’: France’s Quest to maintain its Secular Identity
The article “Banning the ‘Burqa’: France’s Quest to maintain its Secular Identity” deals with the ban of the full veil. According to the article, a parliamentary committee has recommended full veils in France. This happened a few months after President Sarkozy declared the burqa and niqab unwelcome in France. However, the article also states that […]
German Home-Schoolers Granted Political Asylum in US
This article examines a fundamental difference between the educational culture of the United States and Germany. The Romeike family of Germany, who are Evangelical Christians, took their children out of mainstream school and attempted to homeschool their children. After hefty fines and harassment from German authorities, the Romeike family fled to the United States where […]
Music Video “(Ich bin ein) Ausländer” by Alpa Gun
This music video “(Ich bin ein) Auslaender” by Alpa Gun, a German rapper with Turkish origin (www.wikipedia.org), depicts the integrations problem of immigrants, particularly the children and grandchildren of the Post-World War II generation. These people were often born in Germany and/or have a German passport.
‘We Are Not Really Germans’ New Study Looks at Challenges Faced by Germany’s Muslims
This article speaks to the many difficulties Muslim immigrants living in Germany face with regard to finding work and participating in the public sphere. These issues not only effect new immigrants but also second and third generation children of foreign parents who were themselves born in Germany and consider Germany their homeland.
Deutsche Unis sollen Imame ausbilden
This article is about recent university developments in Germany. It states that universities are making moves to broaden their theology programs to include further study of Islam. The response has been fairly positive and the Muslim, particularly the Turkish, communities see the development as an effort towards their integration into German society. Read more here…
Hagen Rether ausländerfeindliche Stimmung und Hetze
Comedian Hagen Rether uses his act to inform as well as criticize politicians and the media on the topic of immigrants and integration in German society. Videos of his acts can be found here
Islamist Violence in Europe – We Shouldn’t Exaggerate the Danger
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,670050,00.html The recent attack on Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard has left much of Europe in fear of continued Islamic attacks against various communities. The article interviews Islam scholar Peter Heine on his views of the continued perception of terrorist danger in Germany. Peter Heine does a wonderful job of illustrating the viewpoints of parties on […]
Debate on Feminism and Islam
In a recent election in Switzerland, most citizens voted to ban the construction of minarets. Among those who voted for the ban were many Swiss feminists. Claudia Pinl asks whether it is fair to label the fears Western feminists have about Islam’s view of women as xenophobic, or if those Westerners who are afraid to […]
Studie zu “Ehrenmorden”
Ein Bericht über eine Studie zu “Ehrenmorden”, die viel Aufmerksamkeit in der deutschen Presse finden, aber nicht unbedingt als solche bezeichnet werden sollten. Die Zeit: Was den Mord zum Ehrenmord macht