Open Day at Local Mosque

15.06.2011 A Turkish-Muslim community in Löhne/ North Rhine-Westphalia held an open day at their mosque to allow others to get to know their community life, culture, and customs. Through the event, the Muslim community demonstrated their willingness to engage in integration processes; at the same time, they highlighted the importance of integration conceptualized as a…

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Wanted: Teachers for Islamic Education

18.05.2011 The details of the intended introduction of Islamic education in German schools are still uncertain; yet, the demand for well educated teachers for the new subject is already being discussed. As reported earlier this month, the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia aims to introduce the new subject in the autumn of 2012. The state’s…

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Plans for Islamic Education in Schools More Concrete

06.05.2011 The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is planning on introducing Islamic religious education in approximately 130 schools next year. To date, it is uncertain, however, how many of the 320,000 Muslim students want to participate in Islamic education. Therefore, the need for additional teachers cannot be determined yet; roughly 60 teachers will complete an additional…

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German Authorities Detain Three Suspected Al-Qaeda Members

29.04.2011, 30.04.2011 On Friday, the German Federal Criminal Police (BKA) arrested three suspected members of the Islamist terrorist network al-Qaeda in North Rhine-Westphalia. The three young men (with Moroccan and Iranian origins) have allegedly been involved in planning a major terrorist attack within Germany. Following several months of surveillance by the German BKA but also…

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From refugee to world champion: Kosovar German footballer Fatmire Bajramaj

Fatmire Bajramaj is one of Germany’s most successful female footballers. Having escaped from the Kosovo during her childhood, she and her family settled in North Rhine-Westphalia. “Lira”, as she calls herself, started to play football secretly against her father’s will, who found football was just for men. But after watching her first official match, he…

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