The death toll during the COVID-19 pandemic has been alarming across Europe, and all over the world, since early 2020. In this context, burying loved ones has become a difficult task for many Muslim communities in Europe, as it has added a further challenge to an already precarious situation. For years now, Muslim communities have…
On December 8 2021, Germany swore in a new chancellor, Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats (SPD), ending the 16-year reign of Angela Merkel. Scholz will oversee a three-party coalition, which includes the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats (FDP) as junior partners. Long-time Green Party member and former head of the party, Cem Özdemir,…
Cologne’s non affiliated mayor, Henriette Reker, made headlines across Germany in October 2021 for granting Muslim congregations permission to call for the midday Friday prayer. The initiative is currently limited to two years. This is not the first agreement of this kind: In the Fatih Mosque in Düren, also in North Rhine-Westphalia, the muezzin has been calling to…
Around 5.5 million Muslims live in Germany (Source). Approximately half of these have a German passport and around 1.5 million of these are over the age of 18, making them eligible to vote. Overall, the number of eligible voters with a migrant background has been estimated to be as high as 7.4 million (Source). Not…
August 31, 2021, marked the deadline set by the US and NATO to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan after a two-decade long military presence. In the wake of this decision, the return of the Taliban to power has led to a surge of Afghan refugees fleeing their country and to a renewed debate over asylum…
