Academics & Education

German Islam Conference reconvenes search for German Islam Interior Minister Horst Seehofer is convening the latest iteration of the German Islam Conference. The 2018 DIK will focus on integration, Islam and German law. Many new faces in attendance will make for lively debates.

(Deutsche Welle) This year’s German Islam Conference (DIK) will be held on Wednesday and Thursday in Berlin. It has been over a year and a half since the last DIK. For this latest iteration, German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, of Bavaria’s Christian […]

Crime

Ban on deportations to Syria to remain, says Interior Minister Horst Seehofer A hopeful to replace German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the head of the Christian Democrats had called for Syrian refugees who commit crimes in Germany to be deported. Germany's interior minister disagrees.

(Deutsche Welle) German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has ruled out ending a moratorium on deporting Syrians, including those whose asylum applications are denied or those who commit crimes in Germany. Seehofer told Der Spiegel magazine on Friday that the decision was made after publication […]

Government & Politics

CDU hopeful Merz decried as ‘Trump light’ for questioning asylum rights Opposition lawmakers have lodged hefty criticism against Merkel's could-be successor for questioning the right to asylum. The populist AfD said Merz has become more right-wing than they are.

(Deutsche Welle) Friedrich Merz, the millionaire lawyer and financial manager who is hoping to lead the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) after Chancellor Angela Merkel steps down as party leader in December, was in trouble on Thursday after suggesting Germany should reopen the debate on […]

Government & Politics

EU top court rules against Austrian curbs on refugee rights The European Court of Justice ruled against a 2015 regulation that saw Austria give minimal social assistance to refugees. Austria's conservative government has introduced a number of strict immigration cuts recently.

(Deutsche Welle) The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ordered Austria to roll back regulations on Wednesday that saw refugees given markedly less social assistance than native-born Austrians. The ECJ ruled that the Austrian measure from 2015 was not compatible with EU directives […]

Clothing

German state plans to ban religious symbols from courts The state government of Lower Saxony is drafting a law that would ban judges and prosecutors from wearing religious clothing or symbols. Germany's justice minister has welcomed the plans.

(Deutsche Welle) The government of Germany’s state of Lower Saxony plans to ban … judges and prosecutors from wearing religious symbols such as crosses or headscarves in the state’s courtrooms. Promoters of the measure say it is aimed at making clear that judges […]

Government & Politics

Germany plans to fast-track deportations of failed asylum-seekers Germany's Interior Ministry has proposed new measures to monitor and deport failed asylum-seekers. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has said he is also looking at ways to repatriate known criminals to Syria.

(Deutsche Welle) The German Interior Ministry on Sunday confirmed plans to facilitate and accelerate deportations of failed asylum-seekers along with those who should have their asylum requests processed in another EU country under the so-called Dublin rules. One of the measures submitted […]

Clothing

When your daughter suddenly becomes radicalized Children's life decisions are often difficult for parents to bear and even more difficult to understand — especially when the children radicalize themselves. DW met an affected German mother.

(Deutsche Welle) It’s something no mother would ever want to experience. The unexpected appearance of state security officers on your doorstep, to inform you that your daughter was planning to leave for Syria to allegedly join the terrorist militia “Islamic State.” But […]

Immigration

Germans increasingly prejudiced against foreigners, Muslims Xenophobia is on the rise in Germany, in particular in its eastern states, according to a new study. What's more, an increased affinity for authoritarianism in the country could pose a threat to democracy.

(Deutsche Welle) More than one out of three Germans believes foreigners only come to the country to exploit the welfare state, a study on authoritarian attitudes in Germany says. Almost one out of two people in eastern Germany believes this to be […]

Crime

German lawmakers push for Syrian refugee deportations In the wake of a rape case involving Syrians in Germany, conservative lawmakers are demanding the government re-evaluate the security situation in Syria. Criminal refugees should be able to be deported, they say.

(Deutsche Welle) Who wants to deport refugees from Germany to Syria? The rape of a young woman in the southwestern city of Freiburg has reignited the debate over deporting criminal asylum-seekers. At least seven Syrian men and one German man are suspected […]

Government & Politics

German Jews call for anti-Semitism classes for Muslim immigrants Germany's federation of Jews says Muslim immigrants need special classes to counter anti-Semitic beliefs. They also condemned the AfD for normalizing anti-Semitism in Germany.

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s Central Council of Jews on Sunday called for combating anti-Semitism among new Muslim immigrants through education. Vice President Abraham Lehrer told the Protestant Press Service that he expects anti-Semitism among immigrants to become more of a problem as they become […]

Moderation & Reform

Battling Salafism on Germany’s streets Saloua Mohammed's most important tool in the fight against Salafism is listening — to parents whose kids radicalize online, to youth who rave about Salafism, and to women returning to Germany after fighting alongside IS.

(Deutsche Welle) “Let’s see who is going to win in the end, shall we?” social worker Saloua Mohammed says. “They won’t get my youths that easily.” “They” are radical Salafists: ultraconservative Muslims who interpret the Quran literally, live their faith the way […]

Legal

The German who went from left-wing terrorist to Salafist sympathizer Bernhard Falk is no stranger to prisons. A convicted leftist terrorist, he spent 12 years behind bars. Now he looks after imprisoned Islamists. Germany's domestic intelligence agency considers him a danger to society.

(Deutsche Welle) One of the advantages of a constitutional state that ensures the rule of law is that it also applies those rights to people who deeply reject it. Even those who want to abolish the democratic system and fight by force […]

Children & Teens

Germany ‘ignoring’ ECJ ruling on refugee reunification Media reports have accused Germany of disregarding a ruling from the EU's top court on the rights of unaccompanied minors to be joined by their families. The key point is the minor's age during the asylum process.

(Deutsche Welle) In mid-April, the European Union’s supreme court in matters of EU law ruled that unaccompanied minors could bring in their families, even if they had come of age during the asylum process. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that […]

Books

Abu Dujana: The Salafi preacher For years, the organization 'The True Religion' provided a rallying point for radical Muslims in Germany — some of whom left to join IS. Naomi Conrad met Abu Dujana, one of the movement's most prominent Salafi preachers.

(Deutsche Welle) There was nothing remarkable about the friendly, polite man with the long, dark beard, sporting a grey hoodie and blue jeans. Nothing, at first sight that is, to distinguish him from the young parents pushing prams and students milling around […]

Books

Invisible and dangerous: The Salafist scene in North Rhine-Westphalia There are more Salafists in North Rhine-Westphalia than in any other German state. The scene has all but vanished from the public eye in its stronghold. But it is still very active, as DW is told by numerous sources.

(Deutsche Welle) “Speak after me,” the red-bearded German convert and Salafist preacher Pierre Vogel says as he publicly summons the young woman. Cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd in the pedestrian zone of the western city of Offenbach, she does exactly that, […]

Demonstrations

PEGIDA’s fourth anniversary: Thousands in Dresden for rival rallies Some 10,000 people joined demonstrations in Dresden opposing a celebratory PEGIDA rally. The far-right group held its first 'evening stroll' four years ago.

(Deutsche Welle) Thousands of people turned out on Sunday in the eastern German city of Dresden in defiance of a fourth-anniversary rally by the anti-immigrant PEGIDA movement. The far-right group’s march through the city took place at the same time and attracted […]

Government & Politics

Germany extends border controls with Austria and Denmark Germany's Interior Ministry will extend migration controls at borders with Austria and Denmark for another six months. Denmark, Austria and France have also announced their intention to extend border controls.

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s Interior Ministry announced on Friday that it will extend migration controls at borders with Austria and Denmark, which were reintroduced in several parts of the normally passport-free Schengen area after the European migrant crisis of 2015. The extension is […]

Children & Teens

Underage refugees in Germany increasingly going missing German authorities do not know the whereabouts of some 900 refugees under the age of 14. The head of a German children's charity said the new figures were alarming.

(Deutsche Welle) The number of refugees under the age of 14 who are missing in Germany has increased in recent months, despite a drop in the total number of refugee arrivals, according to the German Child Welfare Association. The number increased from […]

Mosques

Mosques in Germany: Statistics hard to come by In a country that diligently makes note of its statistics, it may seem rather puzzling that no one knows the exact number of mosques in Germany. Differing laws and a lack of top-down organizing are largely to blame.

(Deutsche Welle) Exactly how many mosque buildings, and how many mosque associations, are there in Germany? No one in the country knows for sure. Ever since the opening of a Turkish state-financed mosque in Cologne, Islamic houses of prayer have been a […]

Government & Politics

Far-right AfD launches JAfD Jewish faction A small Jewish group has set itself up within Germany's far-right AfD party despite scorn from 17 Jewish organizations. Critics say the AfD remains anti-democratic and harbors hatred to the point of Holocaust denial.

(Deutsche Welle) The small group founded Sunday in Wiesbaden by 19 Jewish members of the AfD would call itself Jews in the AfD (JAfD), said Wolfgang Fuhl, chairman of a southern German branch of the far-right anti-migrant party. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has […]

Government & Politics

Open Day at the mosque: ‘Everyone must contribute’ The Cologne Central Mosque has been making headlines recently, and the effects have not all been negative. On the contrary: An especially large number of curious, non-Muslim visitors attended this year's mosque Open Day.

(Deutsche Welle) “If not now, then when?” thought Dana and Julia. The two young women have travelled from their hometown of Olpe to the Central Mosque in Cologne, not despite but precisely because of the negative headlines surrounding its opening by the […]

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.

(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 […]

Clothing

Austria’s controversial ‘burqa ban,’ a year on With few burqa wearers in Austria, police have often been forced to deal with the absurd side effects of the law. Public opinion, however, remains divided one year after the country banned full-face coverings.

(Deutsche Welle) “Not much has changed,” says Herbert Trappel, enjoying a glass of wine at an outdoor sausage stand at Vienna’s Viktor Adler Market. “When was the law introduced, back in April?” The stand’s proprietor, Vesna Dudek, shakes her head indecisively. You […]

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?

(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 […]

Government & Politics

AfD’s Jews say German far-right party isn’t anti-Semitic A small number of Jewish people are founding a group to support the far-right Alternative for Germany party. They say the reports of the AfD's anti-Semitism are overblown.

(Deutsche Welle) Politicians and Jewish organizations have condemned a new Jewish group affiliated with the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD). The group, Juden in der AfD (“Jews in the AfD,” or JAfD), is preparing for a launch event on October 7 in the city of […]

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.

(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.

(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.

(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 […]

Children & Teens

Female genital mutilation: Number of affected women rising in Germany Women's rights organization Terre des Femmes estimates that 65,000 women affected by female genital mutilation (FGM) are living in Germany. DW's Kate Brady met one Somali woman who is calling for an end to the practice.

(Deutsche Welle) “I was about 11 or 12 years old. Several people held me down. Then they cut me. They laid me on the table. I can still see the image. I had such horrific pain. Then they sewed me together. They […]

Academics & Education

‘Terre des Femmes’ pushes headscarf ban for girls The women's rights organization 'Terre des Femmes' has launched a petition calling for a headscarf ban for minors in schools and daycare centers in Germany. But the initiative has courted controversy.

(Deutsche Welle) A girl below the age of 18 wearing a headscarf? The human rights organization “Terre des Femmes” believes it is morally wrong and is demanding that the German government ban headscarves for girls in schools and daycare centres. On Thursday, […]

Crime

Attacks on Muslims drop in Germany in first half of 2018 The number of attacks on Muslims and mosques has fallen significantly in Germany, new figures show. But lawmakers warn the country is still failing to include its Muslim community in society.

(Deutsche Welle) In the first six months of 2018, there were 320 offenses committed against Muslims, mosques and other institutions associated with Islam in Germany, according to information from the Interior Ministry. That’s significantly lower than the nearly 500 cases reported during […]

Crime

Yazidi woman encounters ‘Islamic State’ captor in Germany The past she was attempting to flee came back to haunt a young Yazidi woman in a small town in Germany. Her former IS tormentor confronted her on the street and 'told me he knew everything about me.'

(Deutsche Welle) A 19-year-old Yazidi woman has fled Germany with her family after encountering the “Islamic State” (IS) fighter who had enslaved her in Mosul on the streets of Schwäbisch Gmünd, a town in Baden-Württemberg. Ashwaq Haji Hamid arrived in the southwestern state with her […]

Clothing

Germany tolerant of LGBT neighbors, but not Muslim ones While homophobia has seen a drastic decrease in Germany over the years, Islamophobia has remained stubbornly stagnant. A new Playboy poll has found that most Germans are opposed to mosques, hijab, and refugee homes.

(Deutsche Welle) A new poll published on Thursday by Playboy Germany shows that while national hostility to minority sexualities may have taken a nosedive over the years, hostility to Islam remains depressingly stagnant. According to the survey, which polled over 1,000 men […]

History

Jewish-Muslim youth group visits Auschwitz in show of solidarity A group of young Muslim refugees and Jewish youths have visited the former Auschwitz concentration camp. The trip is aimed a fostering solidarity between the two communities and understanding Germany's past crimes.

(Deutsche Welle) “I need a shower for my soul and my body right now,” says Khaled Naeem. He has just come out of the dim building that houses the incinerators at Auschwitz and into the heat and blinding sun. He is deeply […]

History

Auschwitz: Muslim and Jewish groups hold multifaith memorial Jewish and Muslim leaders from Germany led a memorial for the victims of the Auschwitz death camp on the 74th anniversary of Nazi deportations from the Litzmannstadt ghetto. The ceremony was part of an educational tour.

(Deutsche Welle) Rabbi Henry Brandt and Aiman Mazyek of the Central Council of Muslims spoke at the entrance to Auschwitz on Thursday, at a memorial for the victims of the Nazi death camp. Mazyek said in his speech: “We promise that with […]

Government & Politics

Germany and Spain reach agreement on migrant return Berlin and Madrid have agreed to return to Spain some migrants arriving in Germany. The German interior minister is hoping for more bilateral agreements to return migrants to their point of entry into Europe.

(Deutsche Welle) A spokeswoman for the German Interior Ministry said Wednesday that an agreement had been made to send back to Spain some migrants arriving in Germany. Eleonore Petermann said the deal had been signed by the German and Spanish interior ministries on […]

Children & Teens

Islamist children pose real ‘threat’ to Germany, spy chief warns Germany's domestic intelligence chief has warned that children growing up in Islamist families in Germany may pose a risk to society. Conservative politicians say authorities should be allowed to monitor kids under 14.

(Deutsche Welle) Children from Islamist households in Germany represent a “not insignificant potential threat,” the head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany’s domestic intelligence service, Hans-Georg Maassen said Monday. In a new report cited by the Funke media […]

Crime

Extremist crimes in Germany down, number of fanatics up Germany's domestic intelligence agency says criminal extremism has declined, but numbers of potential extremists have risen. The BfV's annual report noted a sharp increase in members of the radical Reichsbürger movement.

(Deutsche Welle) The overall news was good as Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) President Hans-Georg Maassen presented their report on Tuesday for 2017. Politically motivated crimes in Germany declined by 4.9 percent over 2016 […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

DFB regrets Mesut Özil’s decision to quit Germany, rejects suggestions of racism Germany's football association, the DFB, has responded to the criticism it has received since Mesut Özil announced he had quit the national team. It rejected any suggestion of racism and stressed its integration work.

(Deutsche Welle) In a statement released on Monday, the DFB (German football association) said it regretted but respected Mesut Özil’s decision to retire from the national team. It also thanked the midfielder for his 92 international appearances for the country, as well as […]

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.

(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 […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Mesut Özil quits Germany over Erdogan controversy Footballer Mesut Özil has quit the national team amid the fallout from meeting Turkey's president and Germany's World Cup exit. In a strongly worded statement, Özil said he would 'no longer stand for being a scapegoat.'

(Deutsche Welle) Mesut Özil said on Sunday he will no longer play international football for Germany following the fallout from his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The 29-year-old issued three lengthy and hard-hitting statements via Twitter, in which he singled out German […]

Government & Politics

Austria to stop offering driving tests in Turkish Starting next year, new drivers in Austria will no longer be able to take their exam in Turkish, according to Transport Minister Norbert Hofer. The far-right politician claims the move is motivated by financial reasons.

(Deutsche Welle) As Austria prepares a new version of its driving exam, Transport Minister Norbert Hofer announced on Saturday the test would be available in German, English, Slovenian and Croatian — but not Turkish. Under current regulations, driving students in Austria can sign […]

Government & Politics

Media and migrants: How journalists help fuel populist momentum Polls say that migrants aren't what Germans are most concerned about. So why do the media and politicians push the topic so much? Is the AfD profiting from their mistakes? DW's Jefferson Chase takes a self-critical look.

(Deutsche Welle) It’s a result that has given journalistic and political Berlin pause for thought: Germans are more concerned about old-age poverty and affordable housing than about migrants. At least that’s the finding of a recent Emnid poll for the Bild am […]

Government & Politics

German cabinet declares Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria ‘safe’ Germany's cabinet wants to add three Maghreb states and Georgia to a list of 'safe countries of origin.' But will the change pass Germany's upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, where it failed last year?

(Deutsche Welle) The German government will put forward legislation declaring Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Georgia “safe countries of origin.” The decision was reached after the weekly meeting of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet on Wednesday in Berlin. If enacted, the change in the […]

Government & Politics

German government aims to expand Islam Conference with critical voices Germany's Interior Ministry wants to curb the influence of organized and often conservative Muslim associations at the country's annual Islam Conference. Critics say the move risks limiting religious dialogue.

(Deutsche Welle) 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 […]

Academics & Education

Turkey’s Gulen movement on the rise in Germany After Turkey's foiled coup attempt in 2016, many supporters of exiled Muslim cleric Fetullah Gulen were driven out of the country. But in Germany, the movement is increasingly gaining influence, writes Gunnar Köhne.

(Deutsche Welle) When the Turkish government crushed an attempted coup on July 15, 2016, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed supporters of Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric in self-imposed exile in the United States. There were plenty of rumors about Gulen’s involvement in […]

Crime

German Interior Ministry bans biker gang Osmanen Germania BC Germany has banned Turkish-nationalist biker gang Osmanen Germania BC, accusing the group of carrying out violent crimes. Officials believe the gang has ties to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government.

(Deutsche Welle) German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer outlawed biker group Osmanen Germania BC (Germania Ottomans) on Tuesday, banning them from all activity. “The club presents a serious danger for individual legally protected rights and for the general public,” the ministry said in […]

Government & Politics

German interior minister presents his migration master plan German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has presented his long-awaited asylum 'master plan.' But he did not include the last-minute compromises made with coalition partners last week, which averted a government crisis.

(Deutsche Welle) Interior Minister Horst Seehofer finally got to present his migration “master plan” to the press on Tuesday, a month after it was blocked at the last minute by Chancellor Angela Merkel, precipitating a crisis in the German government that almost […]

Crime

German Jewish groups: German NGOs must fight anti-Semitism if they want public funds After several high-profile incidents of anti-Semitic violence, Germany's Jewish community has had enough. They have appealed to the government to institute a kind of anti-Semitism oath for groups seeking public funding.

(Deutsche Welle) Just last week, a man wearing the Star of David was beaten down and kicked right in the center of Berlin. Some weeks earlier, a similar incident in Germany’s capital caused public outrage and sparked a nationwide debate on anti-Semitism […]

Books

Germany’s Thilo Sarrazin in court over controversial book on Islam His controversial views have stirred much debate in Germany. Now Thilo Sarrazin has written a new book about Islam — and is battling his erstwhile publisher in court over it.

(Deutsche Welle) His highly controversial books sell in the millions. It all began with “Deutschland schafft sich ab” (“Germany is doing away with itself”). Thilo Sarrazin’s 2010 book stimulated a fiery debate over German immigration policy and migrants from Islamic countries. While […]