Muslim council in Germany demands church privileges for Islam
dpa German Press Agency
Cologne, Germany- An umbrella group set up this week byMuslims in Germany called Thursday for Islam to be granted many ofthe same legal privileges as the main Christian churches and Judaism.
Ayyub Axel Koehler, the German Muslim leader who is taking thefirst, six-month turn as spokesman for the Muslim CoordinationCouncil, said in Cologne, "Islamic instruction in public schools,running Islamic cemeteries: you have to have legal status first."
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"We are concerned about the integration of Islam and Muslims intothe German legal system," said Koehler, who heads the German Councilof Muslims, one of four rival bodies that established the umbrellagroup.
He said that wherever German law granted rights to a "religiouscommunity," a legal term embracing the Catholic and Lutheran churchesand the Jewish community, Islam ought to be included as well.
German officials have to date rejected this, arguing that onlytiny numbers of Muslims are dues-paying members of Islamic societiessuch as mosque councils, so their federations are not representative.
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"Islam is not organized like a church," responded Koehler, addingthat Germany had to accept that far more Muslims prayed than joinedmosque assemblies.
"When the call to Friday prayers goes out, almost all of them comein," he said.
Pertinent Links:
1) Muslim council in Germany demands church privileges for Islam
Thursday, April 12, 2007
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