Muslims belong to Germany, not Islam

To the Christian Democratic Union parliamentary leader, Kauder, there is a difference: Muslims belong to Germany, not Islam, he says.

“Not a part of our tradition and identity”

Interior Minister Friedrich warns the German Islamic Conference that religion should not be misused for ideologically based bids for power.

Christian Democratic Union parliamentary group leader, Volker Kauder (CDU) believes Islam not to have a role in Germany as opposed to the former Federal President Christian Wulff.

The CDU politician stated just before the German Islamic Conference on Thursday. "Islam is not part of our tradition and identity in Germany and is therefore does not belong to Germany," he said to the "Passauer Neue Presse". "Muslims are very good for Germany. They of course enjoy full rights as citizens. "

 

Representatives of the state and the Muslim organizations come together in the morning at the Berlin conference on Islam. At the meeting, the controversial distribution of the Koran by radical Islamic Salafists is to be discussed. This was announced by Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich (CSU) as an organizer of the discussion forum. "Religion must not be misused for ideologically based bids for power. This message must go out from the German Conference on Islam, "he said.

Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger (FDP), demanded that the issue be placed officially on the agenda. "A Declaration of the Islamic Conference, in the context of the distribution of the Salafist Koran which emphasizes the open and liberal spirit of our republic would be a good sign," she said to "Spiegel Online".

"Nationalization of the Islamic Conference"

The Turkish community in Germany is open to the concept, but does not see any need for concrete actions . The distribution of the Koran itself is not incompatible with the Basic Law, said the chairman Kenan Kolat to the news agency dpa. "But if it is the glorification of violence, if it goes against the fundanental free democratic order, then police action is necessary to combat the ideas." It was important that young people were not put in a dangerous position of being driven to accept this ideology. "We must do much more in this area," said Kolat. "The Salafist group tries to give simple answers to difficult problems, as do populists and racists."

 

Kauder also has no legal objection to the distribution of the Koran. That said the Salafists were observed by the intelligence services, and also came from terrorist backgrounds. But not all Salafists are terrorists. In the Islamic Conference, representatives from federal, state and local governments will discuss integration issues with Islamic organizations and individual Muslims. A theme of the 2006 conference also to be discussed this time is shotgun marriage. In addition, it explores how the influence of Islamist group among young people may be opposed.

Kolat criticised the fact that Frederick would present himself the results of the conference a press conference and not - as has often happened before - along with Muslim organizations. "We are witnessing the nationalization of the Islamic Conference, which is perceived by Muslim groups." he told dpa.

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