General News
Will Muezzin Call for Prayer in Cologne?
Cologne’s non affiliated mayor, Henriette Reker, made headlines across Germany in October 2021 for granting Muslim congregations permission to call for the midday Friday prayer. The initiative is currently limited to two years. This is not the first agreement of this kind: In the Fatih Mosque in Düren, also in North Rhine-Westphalia, the muezzin has been calling to…
Germany’s Muslims Find Fewer Reasons to Vote
Around 5.5 million Muslims live in Germany (Source). Approximately half of these have a German passport and around 1.5 million of these are over the age of 18, making them eligible to vote. Overall, the number of eligible voters with a migrant background has been estimated to be as high as 7.4 million (Source). Not…
The Taliban in Kabul: What does it mean for Refugee Policies in Europe
August 31, 2021, marked the deadline set by the US and NATO to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan after a two-decade long military presence. In the wake of this decision, the return of the Taliban to power has led to a surge of Afghan refugees fleeing their country and to a renewed debate over asylum…
Enforcing the French law against “Islamic Separatism”: Consequences on religious freedom
The law aimed at safeguarding French “republican principles” and fighting “Islamic separatism” was approved by the French National Assembly on July 23, 2021, after months of debates about its limitation of freedom of association and expression and its discrimination against Islam. [1] Based on the bill’s articles, public authorities will fund only Muslim organizations that…
ISIS Returnees Face Sentencing in Germany
Female returnees who once swore allegiance to ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) recently made the headlines in Germany. A first one, who was not identified by name or given an alias in the media, was sentenced in mid-July 2021 to three years and four months of imprisonment. The now 31-year-old woman traveled from…