Muslims and Islam in Germany

Wilms is the editor in chief of the Islamische Zeitung.

IslamOnline.net (IOL): It is known that Germany adopted the "guest worker" model that may represent a real obstacle for the integration of  minorities. Is it the same case nowadays? To what extent does this affect the Muslim communities in Germany?

Wilms: Since the 1970s, the economically driven immigration has lead to a permanent presence of the "guest workers" in Germany. Even more so, since many of them decided to bring their families to Germany or to start a new one. New laws have been passed that enabled an easier way to the German citizenship, at least much easier than in the earlier decades.

The heatedly debated question of immigration and "integration" largely affects the Muslim population, since Islam is still seen by many as a religion of "guest workers" and immigrants. Alas, many Muslims — also in the second generation — have settled themselves as being "immigrants" and adopted an internal dialogue of remaining in this spiritual cul-de-sac. Many mosques are organized alongside ethnical or national lines, and sometimes mosques are even called, for example, "Turkish-Islamic Cultural Center." So here we have two misconceptions: First, Islam is misunderstood as being a culture (instead of being a divinely ordained religion and lifestyle) and, second, Islam is linked to a distinctively ethnic identity.

This causes more confusion since Islam is — even in the eye of the friendly beholder — seen currently predominantly as a "foreign thing." Therefore, many Muslims of the first "immigrant" generation tend to a self-assessment of being alien to Germany and Europe in a wider sense.

IslamOnline.net (IOL): Can we consider forced marriage among German Muslims as a phenomenon? If yes, what are the reasons for that?

Wilms: We do have isolated cases, although the estimated number of unreported cases may be, I am afraid, quite higher. But this interjection is very important, the issue of "forced marriage" can be linked to the fact that some of the involved persons are Muslims.

These are rather families and clans who come from a crumbling tribal background that are affected by this horribly and complete non-Islamic behavior. Most of the cases appear within families from the east and south of Turkey. Some of them are devout Muslims, some secular, and others are Christians — Alevites or Yezides.

Parts of the Muslim community in Germany, like the Bosnians for example, and the well-educated elements of the second generation of Muslims do not even know this phenomenon.

IslamOnline.net (IOL): Do you think that German media misrepresents Islam and Muslims? If yes, how can the Muslim Media faces this problematic situation?

Wilms: This question is posed so generally that I would be an injustice to the complex relation between media and Islam if I gave you a simple answer. Some of the broadcasting and reporting done in this field is obviously not reflecting the reality, but this is due to a multitude of reasons that can summarized under the following headlines:

1. The build-up of large media corporations

2. The internal pressure on the individual journalist or editor because of the competition in the field of commercial media

3. The change of coverage and production through the Digital Age

4. A small, but loud minority of ideology-oriented publicists

You also have to consider that the Muslims and their respective representative organizations have not done their duty in conveying the necessary content for a long time. Our public relation was not up to the demand until very recently. You have as well to realize that not every critical article is a direct attack since there are deformations. and open questions, which need to be answered.

The existing Muslim media is doing its best. But a change of biased publications about Islam and Muslims in Germany is, in my view, the responsibility of the media in general and not of the Muslim one alone. Our job is to reflect the basics of the deen and the existing discourse among our community for the broad public.

IslamOnline.net (IOL): What is the main duty of the Muslim media in integrating and uniting Muslims and unifying them to be an effective minority, not a negative one?

Wilms: I do not want to appear obtuse, but I have really no idea what it is to be an "effective minority."

To get back to your question, first we have  to realize that it is neither the task nor the place for the very few existing Muslim media projects to somehow "integrate" the Muslims. Our task is to broadcast, to report, to write, to comment, to create a discourse, and to multiply thoughts and ideas. Our publication — Islamische Zeitung — never sees itself as a political entity.

What we do is that we introduce certain subjects and discourses of the main society (like globalization, economy, the future of the family, and education) into the Muslim community. And, very importantly, we offer a true and inviting entrance into the different elements that constitute Islam. Inasmuch, we are an integrative player in Germany. A fact that has, unfortunately, not always been realized.

We play an important role in the process of unifying the Muslims in Germany and in avoiding the ethnically defined understanding of the Deen in our time and place. Through different Muslim media publications like ours, Muslims — quite often for the first time — get a glance into the different aspects of the Muslim community in Germany. Equipped with thus a better insight, it is easier for them to step over still-existing gaps and create new and better forms of religious life in Germany.

IslamOnline.net (IOL): Do you think that the German Muslims are actively participating in the political scene? How?

Wilms: I do not want to sound too critical on this matter, but there is no apparent active participation of practicing Muslims in Germany's political scene, neither nation-wide nor regionally. There might be a future option for a successful engagement of Muslims in some densely populated zones to be active in the municipal branch of politics.

The only known political figures with a seemingly Muslim background are some former immigrants, and they were incorporated into existing parties. The entrance fee they had to pay for being acceptable is an existential distance from Islam as a practiced religion. But even more often, these individuals do have a rather critical position toward Islam and practicing Muslims. Until this moment, the German society doesn't see them they are not seen as a valuable asset. and also not as voters for political causes.

IslamOnline.net (IOL): Being originally German, do you think that the larger Muslim community (with different ethnic backgrounds) still needs Muslims of German origin to work as mediators between them and the government?

Wilms: First of all, there is a very dire need for the mentioned group of Muslims, but for completely different reasons.

Until now, there was no specific need for "Muslims of German origin" as mediators between the Muslim community and the German government. The existing representatives, no matter what their background may be, did in the given limited framework the best they could.

There is in all the Western European countries a need for new Muslims of these places because they are the bridge for the Europeans to Islam. It is much easier for us to present Islam and explain it to our neighbors, friends, colleagues, and relatives because we know not just Islam but also our intellectual and spiritual heritage.

If every Muslim community and mosque has in their midst some "German Muslims," it is secured, and especially the young Muslims will see their own religion not as something to be ashamed or afraid of. It is a sign of their health, because when the community is dynamic and open, it will attract new people into Islam.

IslamOnline.net (IOL): the publishers and editorial staff of your magazine are independent from national or foreign political influence, but how can you make the balance between the domestic and international agendas in covering different issues?

Wilms: First of all, we cover the mentioned issues according to our capacity as journalists and publishers. Furthermore, we add to the coverage our specific angle as being Muslims in Europe. Quite frankly, we never had any problems in this aspect, because we cover both subjects according to our perception of any given event. They do not exclude each other. Sometimes, there is even an interference between both of them. An example of this might be the great interest of the German economy in the Middle East.

If you mean by "agenda," a domestic or foreign influence, we can proudly state that we are free from both. It might be financially more difficult in staying independent, but it gives us the freedom to publish what we want and how we want it.

We are also quite keen on bringing issues, which are underrepresented in German mainstream media. Well, you find a lot about Palestine or Iraq everywhere. We cannot be better there. But we look for material about those places or issues, which are poorly or not at all covered by other journalists. A very few examples are the Uyghur Muslims, Islam in the Balkans, Islam in other places than the Middle East, Muslims and globalization, or the question of the dominance of economy rather than politics in the Muslim World.