DITIB

Government & Politics

Germany’s Krefeld allows adhan broadcast on speakers every Friday In a landmark decision, Krefeld, Germany, allows the call to prayer to be broadcast through speakers every Friday, signifying an important step in recognizing the rights of Muslim communities

April 30, 2024   

(Türkiye Newspaper) In Krefeld, Germany, the Islamic call to prayer, known as the adhan, will be broadcast through speakers every Friday following a signing ceremony at the office of Mayor Frank Meyer. The first call to prayer is set to be broadcast […]

Government & Politics

Germany: ‘DAVA’ party woos voters with Turkish roots Fighting Islamophobia and strengthening 'traditional values' are core issues in the election program with which DAVA reaches out to Muslim migrants in Germany. Is Turkish President Recep Erdogan behind the movement?

February 7, 2024   

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s newly founded “Democratic Alliance for Diversity and Awakening” (DAVA) is currently a voters’ association, but it intends to run as a party in the European elections on June 9. This announcement in January triggered a heated debate in Germany, […]

Academics & Education

Germany trains new generation of Muslim leaders In a groundbreaking move, Germany trains its own Muslim religious leaders, fostering a deeper connection with local communities. Muslim associations across the country are seeing a generational change and reorientation.

January 21, 2024   

(Deutsche Welle) Osman Soyer is a religious affairs officer who was sworn into office this month in the Sehitlik Mosque in Berlin’s Neukölln district. He is one of 28 young men and women who have been trained as “religious representatives” by DITIB, […]

Clerics & Preachers

German MP: Taxpayers should fund German mosques to prevent radicalisation Critics agree that foreign funding should be banned, but say German Muslims should fund their own mosques.

January 9, 2024   

(European Conservative) A top Christian Democrat politician wants to amend the constitution if necessary, so that German taxes can be used to pay for mosques.  Jens Spahn — a former minister and deputy leader of the opposition center-right CDU/CSU’s parliamentary group — […]

Government & Politics

Meet Germany’s first Islamic affairs consultant How can local authorities best understand the various Islamic groups in their communities? Or integrate young Muslims? A German Islamic affairs consultant resolves conflicts between mosque communities and municipalities.

August 13, 2023   

(Deutsche Welle) There are about 2,800 mosques in Germany. Often, they find themselves at the center of discussions or disputes, especially whenever Islamic houses of worship with distinctive characteristics, such as a tall minaret, appear as part of the cityscape. Although the […]

Government & Politics

Muslims in Germany’s Cologne welcome Friday call to prayer over loudspeaker First call to prayer over loudspeaker in Cologne expected to be held on Oct. 14, says Muslim leader

October 4, 2022   

(Anadolu) Muslims in Germany’s city of Cologne welcomed the permission granted to them for two years to announce the call to prayer every Friday on loudspeaker. Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Abdurrahman Atasoy, the acting president of the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs […]

Government & Politics

Germany: Cologne’s mosques to play call to prayer on Fridays Cologne's mayor said allowing the muezzin call to be heard was a 'sign of respect.' Under a new agreement, the city's mosques will be able to broadcast their call to prayer for two years, subject to renewal.

October 11, 2021   

(Deutsche Welle) The Central Mosque of Cologne will be permitted to broadcast its call to prayer over loudspeakers on Friday afternoons, officials said on Monday. All 35 mosques in the western German city will now be able to play the call for up to five […]

Government & Politics

Germany: Conservatives seek to isolate Islamist groups Germany's governing conservative bloc is planning to cut all government ties with groups suspected of supporting political Islamism, according to a report in Die Welt. Large Muslim umbrella organizations may be affected.

April 13, 2021   

(Deutsche Welle) The parliamentary group of Germany’s ruling conservative bloc has called for an end to cooperation with groups suspected of supporting political Islamism, the newspaper Die Welt reported on Tuesday. The bloc, made up of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and […]

Christians

German court quashes ban on mosque’s call to prayer The call to prayer had been banned after a Christian couple complained that it intruded on their religious freedoms. The court ruled that the call to prayer did not violate the rights of those who heard it.

September 23, 2020   

(Deutsche Welle) A court in the western German city of Münster on Wednesday ruled that a local mosque is permitted to perform its Friday call to prayer. It follows an appeal by the town of Oer-Erkenschwick against the prior decision to revoke the mosque’s permission. “Every […]

Academics & Education

Germany set to take charge of imam education locally In a bid to reduce foreign influence on Islamic religious leaders, Germany will support a new pilot project that educates imams locally. Experts say it is a positive step, but a more comprehensive approach is needed.

November 15, 2019   

(Deutsche Welle) The government has long struggled with foreign involvement when it comes to the education of imams who lead Muslim communities across Germany. Now, a new educational association, with start-up funding from Germany’s interior ministry, is set to launch on November 21. Even though some […]

Academics & Education

Germany’s imam quandary: Educate, don’t import Ending foreign influence on Muslim religious leaders' education is a long-term goal for the German government. A new study might lead the way for training local imams, if all parties involved are willing to participate.

June 18, 2019   

(Deutsche Welle) A new report published Tuesday proposes a concrete solution to Germany’s ongoing dilemma about how to educate Islamic religious leaders. The goal is to create a seminar that would offer graduates of Islamic theology institutes in Germany the possibility to […]

Academics & Education

Germany to push for imams to be trained locally, not abroad In an effort to curb foreign influence and foster integration, the German government is pressing for imams to be educated locally, in Germany. Are German Muslim communities willing to back the idea? DW investigates.

April 5, 2019 and   

(Deutsche Welle) Forty-three-year-old imam Murat Gül is president of the Islamic Federation of Berlin and teaches Islam at the local Rosa Parks primary school. “Ever since I was a young boy, I had a love for the Koran,” said Gül, who was […]

Clerics & Preachers

Muslims say Germany should provide Bundeswehr with imams The Bundeswehr provides Catholic and Protestant clergy for soldiers, but no spiritual counsel for Muslims. According to the government, key questions must be answered before the Bundeswehr's religious ranks are expanded.

February 5, 2019   

(Deutsche Welle) Nariman Reinke, a naval petty officer, is one of about 1,500 Muslim soldiers who serve in the Bundeswehr. Born to [Moroccan] parents in 1979, Reinke has been in the military since 2005 and has twice deployed to Afghanistan. But being a Muslim […]

Government & Politics

Germany mulls introducing ‘mosque tax’ for Muslims The idea, similar to Germany's church tax, would aim to make mosques independent of foreign donors. Germany's government and progressive Muslim leaders have supported the idea.

December 26, 2018   

(Deutsche Welle) Lawmakers from Germany’s grand coalition government said on Wednesday that they were considering introducing a “mosque tax” for German Muslims, similar to the church taxes that German Christians pay. Thorsten Frei, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU), […]

Government & Politics

Germany will not put DITIB under surveillance: report Domestic intelligence agency gave up plans to put Turkish-Muslim group under surveillance, according to Welt am Sonntag

December 9, 2018   

(Anadolu) Germany’s domestic intelligence agency BfV gave up plans to put Turkish-Muslim umbrella group DITIB under surveillance, local media reported on Sunday. The DITIB, a Muslim organization founded by Turkish migrants in Germany, has become the target of anti-Turkey propaganda in recent […]

Government & Politics

Turkish far-right Erdogan greetings cause concern in Germany The Turkish president's opening of Germany's largest mosque and use of hand gestures associated with extremists have led to German politicians' concerns about the role of the DITIB association.

October 2, 2018   

(Deutsche Welle) Politicians in Germany expressed concern Monday about the use of Turkish ultra-nationalist symbols during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent state visit. Erdogan supporters welcomed him with the Grey Wolves (Bozkurt) hand sign when he arrived in Cologne to open Germany’s largest mosque […]

Clerics & Preachers

Erdogan in Germany: What you need to know about DITIB mosque association Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is opening a new central mosque in Cologne. DITIB, a controversial Turkish-Islamic umbrella group, provides the financing and imams. But what is DITIB?

September 28, 2018   

(Deutsche Welle) The Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB) is the largest umbrella organization of mosques in Germany. DITIB manages about 900 mosques in the country, including the central mosque in Cologne, and has about 800,000 members throughout Germany. Its ties to […]

Clerics & Preachers

German intelligence mulls putting largest Turkish-Islamic group under surveillance German intelligence is reportedly examining whether to put the Turkish-Islamic umbrella group DITIB under surveillance. The Turkish-state backed DITIB has been at the center of multiple controversies.

September 21, 2018   

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s domestic intelligence agency is deciding whether to put the country’s largest Islamic umbrella group under official surveillance, the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper and public broadcasters NDR and WDR reported on Thursday. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has […]

Government & Politics

Turkey’s Erdogan to open Cologne mosque in controversial state visit The Turkish president's hopes of addressing the German-Turkish community are closer to becoming reality. His upcoming state visit was described as a 'betrayal' by journalist Deniz Yücel, who was imprisoned in Turkey.

September 19, 2018   

(Deutsche Welle) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will officially open a new central mosque in the western German city of Cologne, the Turkish-Islamic organization DITIB confirmed on Tuesday evening. Erdogan will open the mosque at a ceremony at the end of his […]

Clerics & Preachers

Germany cuts funding to largest Turkish-Islamic organization DITIB The German federal government had provided funds to DITIB for counter-extremism and refugee aid programs. The Turkish-Islamic group has been under fire over a number of scandals.

August 30, 2018   

(Deutsche Welle) The German government will no longer be funding projects run with the country’s largest Islamic umbrella group, the Interior Ministry in Berlin said on Thursday. Since the start of the year, the federal government has not approved any funding for […]

Government & Politics

Bavarian town votes against building mosque Citizens in the small Bavarian town of Kaufbeuren voted not to provide public land for a mosque. A local initiative was started by a retired detective and garnered enough votes to stop the negotiations.

July 23, 2018   

(Deutsche Welle) In a local vote on Sunday, the residents of Kaufbeuren, a small town in Bavaria, decided against providing public land for the construction of a mosque. At issue was the question of whether the city would provide the local branch […]