Dubai: A German from Munich came to the UAE to sell the idea of a major mosque in the heart of the city recently, but this mosque is surrounded by controversy at home, ranging from its size and location to the mere existence of a major Islamic symbol in the city. Munich is the capital of Bavaria, the heartland of Christian Germany, and home of Pope Benedict XVI. Ruled by the Christian Social Union, Bavaria is also one of eight German states that ban teachers from wearing the Islamic headscarf in school. “I guess there is a fear of Muslims arriving at the gates of Vienna again,” laughed Heinrich Klier, the Christian president of Munich’s Cultural Cooperation Committee. But we need to dispel those fears. Abbas Al Lawati reports.
