Germany needs an "Islam law" to regulate Muslim religious communities and ensure that what is being preached in mosques around the country is "transparent," according to leading conservative politician Jens Spahn.

Spahn, a member of the executive committee of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), told the Funke Media Group on Thursday that authorities "had to know what happens in mosques," saying that Muslim sermons in German would help diminish prejudice.

In an interview with DW, Spahn cited the example of Austria as a precedent: "The Austrians have had an Islam law since imperial times, and there things function better. We could learn from them."

He called for German tests for imams, saying that many of the preachers who delivered sermons in German mosques came from abroad, could not speak German and were paid by other countries.

"Do we really know if their sermons are being made in accordance with our laws? And it's about more than that. Is it enough, just to ask that they don't break the law? Should they not encourage cooperation and integration?" Spahn said to DW.

Mosque registry

Spahn also demanded that mosques be registered, saying that authorities "did not know how many mosques there are in Germany, where they are or who finances them."

A major problem, according to Spahn, was the lack of a central representative for the Muslims living in Germany. He said that the political Islamic associations with whom the German government had previously worked represented a very conservative form of Islam.

"They speak only for a minority of Muslims. They are the wrong partners," said Spahn, a professed Catholic.

Financing religion

In addition, Spahn, who is also the deputy finance minister, called for the training of imams, teachers of religion and counselors to be paid for with tax money.

"That will be a hard debate, but I would rather we finance this than that the money comes from Turkey or Saudi Arabia," he said, saying that a "church tax" for Muslims was also a possibility: "If the Muslim communities want a tax law, we should talk about it."

Germany already collects money from members of Christian churches in the form of a so-called Church Tax, the proceeds of which are passed on to religious authorities in Germany.

"What is clear at any rate: the financing by foreign actors must stop," the politician told DW.

The conservative politician also had some criticism for Christian churches in Germany, accusing them of being "uncritical" with regard to Islam.

"A friendly photo of fast-breaking, then each goes their own way; it can't go on like that," he said.

Spahn's proposals echo those made last year by Andreas Scheuer, the secretary general of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party to Merkel's CDU.

'No need for laws on religions'

Spahn's proposals were quickly dismissed as unnecessary by leading Greens politician Volker Beck.

"We don't need an Islam law, a Christianity law or a Buddhism law," he said. "The religious communities organize and administer their own affairs."

He conceded that sermons in German and having imams trained at German universities would be a positive development. However, he said that this was something that could not be made compulsory, noting that German communities abroad continued to speak in German, while in synagogues, the Torah was mostly read in Hebrew.

German authorities estimate that more than 5 percent of the population, or some 4.5 million people, adhere to the Muslim faith in Germany.

Eight young people answer eight tough questions about Muslims in Germany Do you feel German? Aya (18 years old from Bielefeld) is one of the participants in the 2017 Young Islam Conference in Berlin. She says: "I feel more German than Moroccan. I grew up with German culture and have a much greater connection to it than to what you could call my other country." So what did some of her fellow participants say about other questions concerning Islam in Germany?

Eight young people answer eight tough questions about Muslims in Germany Is Europe being Islamified? Martin (22, Flensburg) says: "No. Europe is getting more culture. I think Europe is going through some painful learning phases at the moment - the Brexit is an example of that. But if you look at the statistics and facts, Europe is not being Islamified. That's just false. You can't support that thesis. It's nonsense."

Eight young people answer eight tough questions about Muslims in Germany What does integration mean for you? Volkan (24, Siegen) says: "For me it's mainly the feeling of belonging, of not being excluded. As someone from an immigrant background, you get asked a lot of questions that make you realize that you don't really belong. That really bothered me as a child. No matter where I was or what I did, I was always the outsider."

Eight young people answer eight tough questions about Muslims in Germany What needs repairing in relations between Muslims and non-Muslims? Hannah (Kiel, 21) says: "I think the problem in Germany is that people talk a lot about one another instead of talking to one another. We've never learned how to go up to someone and ask: 'Why are you wearing a headscarf?' If you don't take an interest in Islam, you'll never be able to answer such questions. It's so easy to approach someone with a headscarf and ask her to explain."

Eight young people answer eight tough questions about Muslims in Germany What bothers you most about media depictions of Muslims? Merve (19, Duisburg): "What irritates me about how Muslims are portrayed is when we're reduced to one single external attribute. For instance, I choose to wear a headscarf. But that doesn't mean I'm some poor helpless thing. And there's much more to me than that. For instance, I'm someone who's proud to be from Duisburg."

Eight young people answer eight tough questions about Muslims in Germany What should be done about anti-Muslim hate speech and fake news? Ahmed (25, Cologne) says: "The most important thing is always dialogue. With fake news or hate speech on social media, I'd always be ready for a discussion. Especially with Facebook, I'd have the courage to comment on things. I'm very active. I reactivated my facebook account one month ago to take part in the debate about Turkey. It's important for me to discuss things rationally."

Eight young people answer eight tough questions about Muslims in Germany What would you say to anti-immigrant movements like Pegida or the AfD? Aylin (19, Selent) says: "I wouldn't say anything. It would make no sense to talk to these groups. Some people are unwilling to change their minds. The AfD are very convinced of their views, and those left in Pegida must be as well. Those views are, in part, forbidden by the constitution. But I think that at the moment this is just a trend and that many people will come to their senses."

Eight young people answer eight tough questions about Muslims in Germany Is Islam part of Germany? Paul, (19, Kiel) says: "Definitely. Germany is a geographical area in which one society lives and acts. Every group that lives in this area is part of Germany. If I live in Germany, I'm part of Germany, and I have the right to say 'I'm German.' As far as I'm concerned people don't even have to speak the language." Author: Jefferson Chase



tj/sms (epd, KNA, AFP)