News and Analysis on Islam in Europe and North America
20.12.2011 Germany’s President Christian Wulff has recently come under increasing attack from across the political spectrum for not having mentioned a private loan of 500,000€ that he received from the wife of Egon Geerkens, a wealthy German businessman, in October 2008. At this point, he was still serving as a premier of Lower Saxony.
08./09./10./11.12.2011 On Monday, a 35-year old man of Yazidi faith, who moved to Germany from Iraq in 2008, shot his 13-year-old daughter following a family mediation session with youth authorities in Stolzenau, Lower Saxony. Souzan B. had moved out of the family home due to family disputes a few months ago and had since been
28.09.2011 The state parliament in Lower Saxony discussed the potential introduction of a burqa ban for civil servants. The coalition government’s proposal to introduce such a ban in 2012 has been harshly criticized by the opposition of SPD, Green Party, and Left-Wing Party. The mosque association Schura described the proposal as “hysteria”, as there is
08.07.2011 The federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony are planning to introduce Islamic religious education in state schools, starting at the beginning of the school year of 2012/ 2013 (as reported). The new subject is not only meant to impart knowledge and introduce children to Islamic practices, but also offers opportunities to promote
23.06.2011/ 24.06.2011 Lower Saxony’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution is planning on stepping up efforts to counteract radical tendencies within Muslim communities. During the 4th “extremism-symposium” in Hannover, the President of the Office, Hans-Werner Wargel, emphasised the pressing need to prevent the radicalisation of young Muslims. To counteract radical tendencies, the security services