Saturday, Sep 29, 2007
Gulf News
Dubai: A German from Munich came to the UAE to sell the idea of a major mosque in the heart of the city recently, but this mosque is surrounded by controversy at home, ranging from its size and location to the mere existence of a major Islamic symbol in the city.
Munich is the capital of Bavaria, the heartland of Christian Germany, and home of Pope Benedict XVI. Ruled by the Christian Social Union, Bavaria is also one of eight German states that ban teachers from wearing the Islamic headscarf in school.
"I guess there is a fear of Muslims arriving at the gates of Vienna again," laughed Heinrich Klier, the Christian president of Munich's Cultural Cooperation Committee. "But we need to dispel those fears".
Symbolic move
Klier was in the UAE to raise funds for the ambitious project in central Munich, which will signify a symbolic move from the remotely located 'garage' mosques that German Muslims have traditionally worshipped in.
Despite two opinion polls indicating Munich residents' rejection of the project, as well as fierce opposition by traditionalists, nationalists and secularists, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) mayor of Munich has decided to make the bold move of offering his full backing to the construction of the mosque opposite a major church.
"There is no question about [supporting the mosque] because freedom of religion is enshrined in our constitution," Christian Ude, the mayor of Munich, told Gulf News. "For the past decade, I have actively supported rebuilding the [main] synagogue here [60 years after it was destroyed by the Nazis]. There is a need for a mosque in Munich, and such a request cannot be rejected."
The plan also has the support of Munich's church groups and the Green Party, said Ude.
Lale Akgun serves as a member of the German Bundestag (parliament) for the SPD, and has been known for advocating the rights of Muslims in the country. There are many mosques in Germany, she argues, but problems arise when mosques become "visible".
"As long as mosques are outside the city in factories and villages, there are no problems. Any visible symbol of the faith causes fears that it is secretly trying to seep into society," she told Gulf News.
Mostly consisting of Turkish immigrants, Muslims number some 3 million in Germany, constituting approximately four per cent of the country's population. While a significant number of them have had 'guest worker' status for generations, some are in the process of naturalisation.
According to Akgun, who is of Turkish origin herself, Muslim Turks in Germany are now a "reality" that cannot be ignored.
Although mayor Ude considers most of the opponents' arguments as lacking in credibility, he says it is important to tackle the root of people's fear of Islam.
Hermann Clement, a representative of the Evangelical Church which has supported the mosque project, told Gulf News that some residents of Munich were concerned about the potential for extremist activity in the mosque.
- Additional inputs from Nicole Walter, Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2007. All rights reserved.
