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Radwa Khorshid
Euro-Muslims Zone
Name
Hany
- Egypt
Profession
Question
Your conversion to Islam in 1980 raised some controversies due to your high profile in the German government. Do you think it would be the same case if someone having your position at that time would become Muslim?
Answer
I had no problems professionally after my conversion in 1980. Problems came only after my book Islam: The Alternative was published in 1985. It would still be a problem for a German ambassador to become a Muslim now but it would no longer be considered to be a scandal.
Name
Said
- Germany
Profession
Question
"I want to be the chancellor of all Germans so that we are all better off - especially in the midst of a crisis," Merkel said. In your opinion, do German Muslims perceive a Christian chancellor as their representative?
Answer
According to the Islamic law, Muslims in a non-Muslim country have to abide by the local laws, unless these were repugnant to their religion. Since this is not the case, Muslims can remain in Germany and also be honored with the election results produced by the majority.
This attitude is justified so much more, given Mrs. Merkel as chancellor. Muslims in Germany, as in the past, most likely will be allowed to practice the essentials of their religion: Shahadah (confession of faith), prayer, Hajj, zakat on money/wealth/property and Ramadan.
Name
Editor
-
Profession
Question
Were the recent series of warnings by Islamic militants, including one from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden real threats to Germany?
Answer
This remains to be seen.
Name
Marwa
- Turkey
Profession
Question
Germany's mainstream political parties failed to mobilize voters to go to the polls on Sunday. What about Muslims in particular, did they mobilize this time? Is SPD significant lost in votes implying decrease in Muslims participation too? Did some Muslims shift the vote from SPD to the Greens or these two “favorite” parties for German Muslims have distinct electorates?
Answer
Of the 4.3 million Muslims living in Germany only about 900.000 are German citizens, therefore can participate in national elections.
There was no call by any Muslim organization in Germany to vote for a particular party. In fact, none of the existing parties recommends itself fully to Muslims. Formerly, most Muslims voted either for the Social Democratic or the Green Party. It seems that this time a sizable number of Muslims in Germany rather put their trust in Chancellor Merkel.
Name
Hareim Suliman
- France
Profession
Question
What do you think about Merkel's upcoming policy on controversial issues like war or Islam related issues? Will it just remain the same?
Answer
There is only one war related issue in German politics now: the deployment of German Forces in Afghanistan, quite unpopular on its own merit. In fact, people know that Germany is present in Afghanistan exclusively in deference to the United States. Originally, as an alibi, Germany opted for Afghanistan in the context of the refusal to send troops into´Iraq. Against that background it is likely that the German military presence will be phased out in time.
Name
Salaman
- Germany
Profession
Student of Turkish Origin
Question
With the new CDU-FPD coalition, what would be the main challenges and/or opportunities facing German Muslims, especially, that the SPD is almost the only party supporting the dual citizenship- one of the main obstacles for German Muslims' integration?
Answer
Regardless of which German political party is in power, the Muslims in Germany are not fully happy.
Parties with a Christian orientation, at least, share a transcendental link with the Muslims, believing in God. This important aspect is missing in all other parties whose representatives are agnostic, if not atheist.
At the same time, some of these parties showed stronger support for the basic human and civic rights of Muslims.
While the Socialist support for dual citizenship rights is important, so is the Christian-Democratic support for Islamic religious instruction in school.
As you see, the picture is mixed.
Name
Houria
- Canada
Profession
Professor of International Law
Question
Dr. Murad,
Do you think German Muslims of Turkish origins are isolating themselves from the community or it's the role of the Government to integrate them? Who should play a role in their integration into the German community?
Answer
While the Indo-Pakistanis in Britain and the Maghrebinians in France knew English and French before arriving in the UK or France, the Turkish immigrants in Germany spoke no foreign language and came as unskilled labor. They have not overcome that handicap yet. This is partially their own fault because they continue to focus on Turkey almost totally, last not least, by importing brides from inner-Anatolia and by harboring a basically Kemalist chauvinism which counteracts integration. All this reinforces the existing German fear of being overrun by uncontrollable immigration. Thus the whole issue is dominated by mutual fear and distrust - the worst counselor possible.
Name
Ismail
-
Profession
Question
What are your plans for the coming book, don't you think a book on the German Islamophobia is worth publishing now? Good luck...
Answer
I have published 13 books so far, most of them translated into other languages, including Hungarian and Malayalam. It keeps me busy to check on new editions and to write dozens of book reviews each year, e.g. for the "Muslim World Book Review", the "Oxford Journal of Islamic Studies", and "Islamic Studies" in Islamabad.
At the same time, better than to attack anti-Islamic topics head-on, it is more promissing to publish on positive aspects of Islam.
Name
Hoda Rahmany
- Belgium
Profession
Question
Is there any update about Marwa El-Sherbini's verdict amid the German parties declared agendas which, some of them, included plans for combating islamophobia?
Answer
It is too early to make a judgment.
Name
Iqbal Mostafa
-
Profession
Question
How do you evaluate the political participation of German Muslims in yesterday's elections?
Answer
I wish there were statistics about it. But it is not allowed in Germany to collect such data- rightly so.
Name
Editor
-
Profession
Question
This session has come to an end.
We would like to thank Dr. Murad Hofmann for speaking to IslamOnline.net viewers today and we also thank all those who participated in this dialogue.
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