“He was there with his heart and soul”: The mother of a German ‘foreign fighter’ speaks

In 2014 and 2015, European publics were kept in suspense by daily press reports on the rising numbers of European citizens travelling to Syria in order to join jihadi groups (and, to a lesser extent, Kurdish rebel forces). By early 2018, security agencies estimated that 960 men and women had made their way to Syria…

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Pew Research Center survey reveals insights into relationship between Christian identity and views regarding Muslims

A survey from the Pew Research Center has reveals insights into the relationship between Christian identity and views regarding religious minorities and immigrants. Christian identity in Europe “is associated with higher levels of negative sentiment towards immigrants and religious minorities” as “self-identified Christians – whether they attend church or not – are more likely than religiously unaffiliated people to express negative views of immigrants, as well as of Muslims and Jews”.

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#FosterFriday: Muslim Foster Network launches ‘Fostering Friday’ as part of Ramadan to encourage much-needed Muslim families to sign up to foster

The Muslim Foster Network (MFN) has made Friday 25th May, 9th Ramadan, as ‘Fostering Friday’, “a day of action to raise awareness of the need for Muslim Foster carers”, as it estimates 8,100 new foster families are needed in the next twelve months. These families are needed for Muslim children, many of whom (approximately 4000) are unaccompanied refugee children.

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German policy-makers contemplate hijab ban for girls under the age of 14

The state government of North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW), the most populous of Germany’s 16 federal states, is contemplating following the Austrian lead and banning girls under the age of 14 from wearing a hijab. The proponents of this prohibition have been vague on where it is supposed to apply. Some have spoken of a potential ban…

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Amidst plummeting levels of religious observance, Germans re-emphasise their country’s Christian identity

In a new survey on Germans’ religious views and practices conducted by the Allensbach institute, a clear majority of respondents conceptualises of their country as a quintessentially Christian one. Growing emphasis on a Christian heritage 63 per cent assert that Germany is “strongly marked by Christiantiy and Christian values” – a mere five years ago, only…

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