German Muslims question motives of Protestant document
Four Muslim organizations in Germany have called off a meeting with Protestant leaders planned for February 2007, saying there is a need for "considerable explanation" about recently-published church guidelines urging greater clarity in Christian-Muslim relations reports Ecumenical News International (ENI).
Germany's top Protestant bishop, Wolfgang Huber, said in comments to leaders of the four Muslim organizations made available on 31 January: "I was particularly surprised that your justification for cancelling the meeting was the need for further discussion."
The meeting between the Muslim groups and the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), the country's main Protestant grouping, had been scheduled for Tuesday 6 February in Berlin.
The EKD published the guidelines in November 2006 in a document entitled, 'Clarity and being good neighbours'. It said "mistakes and conflicts" relating to the integration of Muslims in Germany needed to be addressed by the followers of the two faiths, the German Protestant news agency epd reported.
The document highlighted the issues of religious conversion, the role of women and religiously-motivated violence. It stated that cultural identity could not take priority over human rights, and that the systematic unequal treatment of men and women, so-called "honour killings", female circumcision, and forced marriages could not be tolerated in a democracy.
Muslims account for about 3.4 per cent of Germany's 82.4 million people. Protestants and Roman Catholics account for about a third each.
The EKD document said the wearing of Muslim headscarves by women teachers raised doubts about their suitability to teach at state schools, something that raised the ire of Germany's Islam Council.
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