By the time the summer comes to a close, things will be different at the German Islam Conference, an annual event aimed at fostering dialogue between the government and Muslims living in the country. At least that is the aim of the Interior Ministry, led by conservative Horst Seehofer.
His deputy minister, Markus Kerber, sparked a debate on Friday after telling Bild newspaper: "We must place the large number of Muslim fellow citizens not yet organized in Germany at the center of the Islam Conference much more strongly than before." What Kerber did not say, but of course means, is that the strong influence of formal Islamic associations with often-conservative interpretations of religious laws is to be curbed at the dialogue forum.
In the run-up to this year's conference, which describes itself as "the most important forum between the German state and Muslims living in Germany," representatives of these types of Islamic associations were the only ones included on the organizing committee. Critics of that decision argued that Muslim life in Germany was far more colorful, and in March, secular migrant associations declared the event would be a failure if it was not reformed. [Deutsche Welle] Read more
