Cardinal- let them build mosques

Cathcon translation of article, Dürfen Muslime in Deutschland Moscheen bauen? by Cardinal Sterzinsky.

Can Muslims build mosques in Germany?

Religious freedom also applies to Muslims. It is a two-way street. A guest commentary by Georg Cardinal Sterzinsky

The answer is a clear: Yes, of course, Muslims in Germany should build mosques. This arises from the right to religious practice, guaranteed by the Constitution. But regardless of the Constitution, the Catholic Church recognizes the right to religious freedom, so that the Muslims who live permanently in Germany have the right to build appropriate and dignified mosques, cannot be take away.

In recent months, there have been continual arguments about the plans for the construction of particular mosques, for example, in Cologne, but also in Berlin. Here people are protesting about currently planned mosques, specifically in Pankow-Heinersdorf and in Charlottenburg. In Heinersdorf, a citizens' initiative is being organised against a construction project of the Ahmadiyya group and they have justified their opposition by saying that the group is an unpredictable sect, none of whom live in the immediate area. The Inssan Foundation wants to build a mosque and cultural complex near the Mierendorffplatz in Charlottenburg. As the Tagesspiegel reported, the land alone costs 2.9 million euro. The forty members of the Foundation wanted the largest part of the cost to be financed by donations from Arab countries.

The project in Charlottenburg shows what questions should be asked when large mosques are planned. Such as: Do such large complexes with facilities that are not directly engaged in the exercise of religion, really serve the objective of integration? Or will they tend towards isolated and parallel societies? What interpretation of Islam is shared by the builders of the mosque? Is it compatible with the Basic Law? What are the sources of money? And what goals do the donors have? I believe that both the residents and the state have a legitimate interest in transparency and answers to such questions. The allegations that Inssan has links to Islamists must be taken seriously, and the accuracy of these must be examined.

It is imperative to properly examine the buildings of mosques in Germany. It is true that given the permanent presence of Muslims in Germany and Europe as well as the projected growth of these communities followed the path away from ad-hoc meeting places toward recognizable mosques. The truth, however, is that the right balance should be maintained. Mosques should be dignified. But a mosque must be sized so that at least the impression of a demonstration of power is avoided? Should mosques be named, as often happens in Germany, after the Conqueror of Constantinople- as the Fatih Mosque in that city is named, which can easily be perceived as a provocation.

If intellectuals like Ralph Giordano, the social scientist Necla Kelek, the writers Dieter Wellershoff Hoff and Guenter Wallraff, the historian Hans-Ulrich Wehler, or the artist Klaus Staeck have some sharp words against the construction of large mosques, one should listen attentively. The underlying concerns should be taken seriously.

By conviction, the Catholic Church supports the religious freedom of Muslims in Germany. Naturally, we are also for the religious freedom of Christians in Islamic countries. In such countries, Christians are often exposed to discrimination and deprivation. It is, in practice, only possible to construct small churches, but certainly desirable is the possibility of practising one's own religion without fear of persecution. Our behavior is not dependent on decisions and bans in other countries. I think, however, the acceptance of Muslims in Germany would develop if they also clearly spoke out for religious freedom of Christians in their home countries.