A supervisory committee at Berlin's Humboldt University (HU) voted on Friday in favor of establishing an institute for Islamic theology that critics have denounced for having what they called a conservative Islamic advisory board.
The head of the committee said the publically funded institute, which is set to train imams and religious teachers, was a "milestone" in the university's development. The city of Berlin will provide some €13 million euros ($15 million) in funding for the center, which will become the sixth academic institute for Islamic theology in Germany.
"Humboldt University will recognize its social responsibility and integrate Islamic theology into its interdisciplinary academic network," HU President Sabine Kunst said in a statement.
Berlin's deputy secretary for science and research, Steffen Krach, said the institute would play an important role in promoting integration in the capital.
Seyran Ates, a Berlin-based liberal Muslim lawyer, however, condemned Humboldt for allowing conservative Islamic groups to be represented on the board in charge of hiring professors. [Deutsche Welle] Read more
