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Facts and Findings

Germany’s “Islampolitik”

Old problems, new challenges, current debates

For decades, Germany has struggled to give Islam equal legal status to the established religions. Recent challenges and developments brought back some dynamism to the present immovable state of affairs. Most notably, the legal situation of Islam and Muslim organizations is currently in a process of reassessment. Additionally, politicians, academics and commentators have brought up several proposals about the strengthening of loyalty of Muslims towards state and society in Germany. These debates demonstrate the need for a major restatement of Germany’s “Islampolitik”.

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Key points

  • For decades, Germany has struggled to produce a model that gives Islam in Germany equal status to the established religions of Christianity and Judaism vis-à-vis the state.
  • Little progress has been made in the last decade. The current approaches still amount to little more than a patchwork of variegated policies which still lack a clear roadmap towards a coherent German “Islampolitik”.
  • Recent international and domestic challenges and developments such as the influx of Muslim refugees, the developments in Turkey, a number of terrorist attacks in Germany in 2016 and the rise of populist parties and movements brought back some dynamism to the present immovable state of affairs.
  • Most notably, the legal situation of Islam and Muslim organizations is currently in a process of reassessment. Additionally, politicians, academics and commentators have brought up several proposals about the strengthening of loyalty of Muslims towards state and society in Germany.
  • These debates demonstrate the need for a major restatement of Germany’s “Islampolitik”. The next federal government to be elected in September 2017 should seize the opportunity to define a new model that could reconcile the expectations of the state with the rights and aspirations of Germany’s growing Muslim population.

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