The German Cabinet has introduced a draft of a bill that would require clergy from countries outside the EU to prove their knowledge of German in order to reside in the country, .
Although the law would apply to clerics from all religions, the coalition treaty signed by the German government specifically refers to Muslim preachers.
"We expect foreign imams to be able to speak German," an Interior Ministry spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday.
The bill would change current residency and labor ordinances by requiring foreign clerics to prove within a year of arriving in Germany that they understand enough German to discuss key topics such as family, shopping, work, and their immediate surroundings. Prior to that, proof of a basic understanding of German would suffice.
The draft states that "for religious reasons, clerics often take on an influential role in their communities" that requires them to act as models and counselors in a way that facilitates peaceful cooperation between different cultures and religions as well as a successful integration of immigrants to Germany. [Deutsche Welle] Read more
