Islamic Conference: Horst Seehofer's fight against foreign influences in German mosques

BThere is a lot of talk of Islam in Germany – especially in the context of the debate on migration. As a forum for dialogue between the state and the representatives of Islam, the German Conference on Islam plays an even more important role. The conferences, each for a legislative period, were now entering the fourth phase with the launch event.

Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer (CSU) reorganized the forum by trying to invite not only the faithful mosque badociations, but also many liberal Muslims or even critical interlocutors who influence the community. Islam and influencing Muslims. Seehofer had 240 delegates chosen by his secretary of state, Markus Kerber, who had participated in the founding of the Conference on Islam in 2006.

In his opening address, Seehofer said that the emergence of "Islam" in, for and for Germany "was the main goal of the new edition of the Forum of dialogue of this legislature. His central question was: "How can we promote Islam in Germany, which is rooted in our society?". The condition is that "foreign influence" on Muslims living here "as well as possible" be replaced. Already in 2009, the Islamic Conference had decided that mosques should "imprison as imams people who had grown up and had been trained mainly in Germany". However, nearly ten years after the establishment of Islamic theology centers in universities, progress is minimal.

Ditib imams are considered a problem

In fact, hundreds of graduates of the six Islamic centers of German universities rarely find a mosque, which praises them because they are considered too liberal. Most of them then become teachers or work as social educators in the integration industry. Mosques, on the other hand, still receive 90% of their imams from abroad, which strengthens the bonds of many local Muslims with their original culture.

The numerous imams of the mosques of the largest Ditib badociation, sent and paid for by the Turkish religious authority Diyanet, are particularly problematic. In the imamausbildung, the Federal Ministry of the Interior wishes to make progress in this legislature.

Secretary of State Kerber said the detention of mosques towards graduates trained here is also due to the fact that there is no post-graduate education in practice. But religious representations should take care of that. Major badociations should work with the Chairs of Islamic Theology. But with that, they had difficult times in the past. The state should not intervene because of the requirement of neutrality.

The central problem is the demand of high school theologians for a historically critical interpretation of the Qur'an. The most famous of these Islamic teachers, Mouhanad Khorchide of the University of Münster, is considered by many representatives of the mosque badociations as false teachers. He asks to understand the Qur'an in the historical context of the 7th century and to separate the teaching role of Muhammad's faith from that of chief of state and conqueror. In mosques, most of the literal interpretations of the Qur'an are made. This belief in an alleged verbal inspiration, according to which Allah Muhammad dictated word for word the Koran, alienates many Muslims with the methods of interpretation of scientists.

Meanwhile, however, there seems to be a movement in the discussion. He also did not want to imitate foreigners in the long run, said Aiman ​​Mazyek, who heads one of the four main Islamic badociations, the Central Council of Muslims. On the podium of the conference, Seehofer asked him to take concrete action during the next year. Dozens of imams pose no problem, replied Mazyek. Seehofer immediately determined the outcome of the negotiations: "24 Imams 2019".

Seehofer chose his words tactfully and repeatedly stressed that "Muslims belonged to Germany" and were well integrated in their "vast majority". He even received praise from one of his most outspoken critics, the Green Bundestag MP, Filiz Polat. She admitted to Seehofer having "learned" in dialogue with Muslims. Words alone were not enough. "Now, the acts must follow," complains his party colleague, Cem Özdemir, during an interview with WELT. "All the parties of the federation and the countries" would benefit from the reforms of the Islamic federations ".

Sevim Dagdelen, a member of the Bundestag party of the left, criticized the conference on Islam as "continuing to rally with reactionary badociations". It was "downright absurd, under the slogan" to woo the Muslims of Germany – the German Muslim badociations that represent political Islam in Germany. "It's" a politically fatal sign that the Central Council of Muslims, the Muslim fundamentalist brothers and even the Salafists, return to the conference on Islam, a public scene ".

The Ministry of the Interior has reacted to the domination of large badociations by inviting dozens of liberal Muslims and breaking with the practice of recent years under Thomas de Maizière (CDU). He used the Conference on Islam primarily for the dialogue of state actors with Islamic badociations.

In addition to the representatives of the badociations, the new cycle also invited theologians, activists and scientists in conflict with these badociations. "The cast is more colorful this time, I like that," said the founder of the Ibn Rushd Goethe liberal mosque in Berlin, Seyran Ates. Political scientist Hamed Abdel-Samad said that Islamic badociations are not religious communities, but mainly "ethnic-national badociations".

Seehofer justified the more colorful mix of participants by the fact that "the high numbers of immigrants from states of Islamic influence 2015 and 2016, the number of Muslims in Germany" have increased considerably and that the composition Muslims has changed dramatically. "He spoke of the influx of 1.6 million Arab-Muslim asylum seekers in recent years, who, despite their Black-red integration, usually become permanent immigrants For the new edition of the Conference on Islam, much remains to be done to deepen social, economic and cultural integration.