In the ongoing debate of German Muslim integration, two politicians have asserted that Germany does not need a “liberal racism” as propagated by Geert Wilders in the neighboring Netherlands. Both conservative politician Alois Glück and social democrat and interior minister of Berlin, Erhart Körting, talk about accommodating Muslims, including potential worries, without drawing on prejudices.
Glück emphasizes the importance of recognizing the cultural process Islam is going through, consisting of many different currants and moving towards a tolerant form of, for instance, equal gender rights. He is in favor of working together with Islamic associations and of educating Imams in Germany. Körting calls for actively promoting integration especially among those who do not share a “European cultural identity” and who live in large numbers with migrants from the same country, such as those of Turkish background. These people are just as much eligible for integration, but may need more help and should also realize the effort they need to put in for the sake of their children.
