DAR AL HARB - GERMANY: AN UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION FOR MOSLEMS IN GERMANY, PART 2

German Muslim Groups to Speak as One

Germany's Islamic organizations aren't lacking in number. But coherence has long been a problem. Now four groups are banding together to form an umbrella organization. German politicians applaud the initiative, but warn that it's only one of several on the way to better inter-cultural dialogue.

When Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble held an Islam conference in Berlin last year, his goal was to establish a new basis for dialogue with Germany's Muslim community, one rooted in democratic and constitutional values.

But as the representatives of the various Muslim organizations, federations and groups pulled up their chairs around the table, it became clear that dialogue -- in the sense of conversation between two parties -- was a misnomer: To date, no single body has represented the interests of the 3.3 million Muslims living in Germany.

Now, four organisations want to change that. The Turkish-Islamic Union for the Institution of Religion (DITIB), the Islamic Council (IR), the Central Council of Muslims (ZMD) and the Association of Islamic Culture Centres (VIKZ) are joining forces to form an umbrella group which they hope will speak on behalf of all Muslims in Germany.

"At the moment, we're working on statutes and formalities," ZMD General Secretary Aiman Mazyek told SPIEGEL ONLINE this week. The coordination committee, which has been meeting for the last half year, is forming a central organization at the federal level and coordinating bodies in the federal states. The new organization, as yet without a name, is scheduled to be launched by summer.

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The prior post concerning this "umbreall organization" can be found here: (link)


Pertinent Links:

1) German Muslim Groups to Speak as One