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"Integration Is a Top Priority"

Armin Laschet of the conservative CDU party is North Rhine-Westphalia's first Minister for Integration, the first minister of that kind in Germany. In this interview with Petra Tabeling, he talks about the headscarf and the necessity of integration

"Immigrants Still Feel Like Guests"

France is facing the worst racial unrest in decades. Could the same happen in Germany, home to a large immigrant population which has been spared violence so far? Experts are skeptical. Mathis Winkler reports

A Disastrous Marriage with No Hope of Dissolution

The relationship between Germans and Turks in Germany is on the rocks. The public discourse on the matter is characterised by mutual prejudice and misunderstanding. A commentary by Zafer Senocak

Liberal Disclaimers

Citizenship tests are all the rage from Stuttgart to Vienna, from the Hague to Frankfurt. They posit a laissez-faire culture – and promote the very opposite, as Robert Misik argues in his opinion piece

Zeitgeist of Fear and Prejudice

The conscience test, conceived by the interior ministry in the German state of Baden-Württemberg to check whether potential German citizens have the right moral convictions, reflects current German attitude towards Muslims, says Ülger Polat

Islam Implicated as Motivating Factor behind Social Conflicts

The political and social climate for Muslims in Germany has deteriorated significantly within the last year, says Ebehard Seidel, as for instance the newly introduced "convictions tests" in the state of Baden Württemberg show

Breaking Down Psychological Barriers

Since the 90s German churches have been organizing Christian-Islamic discussion forums. These forums had start-up difficulties but were eventually successful in promoting mutual understanding and must be continued, says Muhammad Abu al-Qumsan

Franco-German Perspectives

The sociologist Nikola Tietze has been studying forms of Muslim identity in Germany and France. Susan Javad spoke to her about the different ways of approaching Islam in the two countries

"Integrate Muslims into Europe's Pluralist Traditions"

The EUMC study on anti-Semitism in Europe states that anti-Semitism is widespread among young Muslims. In this interview, Irmgard Pinn, sociologist, Muslim convert and member of the board of the Forum of Independent Muslims, critically reviews some of the findings

Why the German Media are Courting the Anti-Islam Movement

If discussions on the cultural pages of German newspapers in spring 2010 were representative of German opinion, around half of the German population comprehend Islam as a threat. Is this evidence of vigilance or prejudice? By Stefan Weidner