German city to sign treaty with its Muslim community

Staatsvertrag mit Muslimen vor dem Abschluss? | NDR.de - Regional - Hamburg:
Treaty with Muslims before the final?

The Muslims want more co-determination on among other things, the religious education

In Hamburg, the text of a treaty with the Muslims is apparently nearing completion. This would place the Muslim communities on largely the same footing as the churches. All doubts have now been resolved by an expert report, as reported NDR 90.3 on Friday. The Hanseatic city would be the first with such a contract.

Expert report on Muslim organizations

This was inteneded to clarify whether the three major Muslim associations Shura (Council of Islamic Communities), DITIB (Turkish-Islamic Community) and the Association of Islamic Cultural Centres (VIKZ) are genuinely religious communities. That is, for example, if there is an active organization working to provide for young people and children. In a 100-page comprehensive analysis, seen by NDR 90.3, a professor of religious studies comes from the University of Bremen, Gritt Klinkhammer came to the conclusion that Islam is lived in all three communities.

The chairman of Ditib North, Zekariya Altug anticipates now an early signature of the treaty: "We expect a treaty in which we, as religious communities, are placed on par with churches recognized here in Hamburg, and especially in the field of religious education as equal partners in the shaping of it. " A common religious instruction will carry in as before in schools but in the future Muslims will also be co-responsible for this (Cathcon- not sure whether the common religious education being referred to is that for all pupils or just for the Muslim community- will check).

Von Beust had the idea

The City Senate Office says that the right track is being followed overall. A specific date for the signing of the treaty is not yet possible. Former Hamburg Mayor Ole von Beust (CDU) had in 2006 first made a public suggestion of such a treaty.