At the University of Frankfurt, a fierce debate has broken out over a proposed conference on the Islamic headscarf, signalling growing contestation over questions of identity and discrimination. Entitled “The Islamic headscarf – Symbol of dignity or of oppression?”, the conference is scheduled for May 8, 2019. Its principal organiser is Susanne Schröter, an anthropologist…
The National Union of Students (NUS) has published its report ‘The experience of Muslim students in 2017-18’. The report highlights the obstacles Muslim students experience in higher and further education, including raising concerns about the effect of the Prevent initiative.
Anti-Semitic prejudice amongst Muslim youth has become an issue of growing concern in Germany. Schools, while at times being the site of anti-Semitic hatred,1 have reacted by expanding educational opportunities aiming to combat the hostility to Jews exhibited by some of their students. Grass-roots project combating anti-Semitism The Theodor-Heuss comprehensive in Berlin has mounted one…
“Provocative” and “conspicuous” praying A secondary school in the Western German city of Wuppertal has caused a stir by prohibiting its Muslim pupils from “conspicuous praying”. In an internal memo directed at the teaching staff, the administration of the Johannes-Rau-Gymnasium encourages its instructors to prevent “provocative” praying activities. For the administration, this includes the performance…
Finnish pupils in elementary education have started their school year of 2016 with a new national curriculum. In Finland, every school is obliged to offer subject education in Islam for Muslim children, when at least three students would select it instead of the majority Evangelic Lutheran religious education or alternatively Ethics. Whereas until now the contents of teaching…
