Germany: Rhineland-Westphalia introduces Islamic instruction

Source: FSSPX News

The parliament of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia voted on December 21, 2011, to institute general Islamic religious instruction in the schools.  The coalition in power (the Social Democratic Party or SPD and the Greens) as well as the Christian-Democratic Union (CDU, the opposition party) campaigned in favor of this law.  The Liberal Democratic Party (FDP) abstained, whereas die Linke (the Left) had opposed it.  This is the first German State to make this decision.

The 320,000 Muslim students in North Rhine-Westphalia therefore will take required courses in Islam starting in the next school year.  The introduction of Islamic religious instruction had been avoided until now, because the Muslim organizations did not meet the criteria of a religious community.  Constitutionally, it is not legal in Germany to introduce religious instruction without the cooperation of the religious communities concerned, according to the requisite criteria.  (Sources:  apic/kna – DICI no. 248 dated January 13, 2012)

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