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Equal rights for Islam
Group gains access to public schools
A court in Berlin has ruled that an Islamic group must be allowed to provide religious instruction in the city’s public schools, working alongside Catholic and Protestant teachers.
The Islamic Federation, which operates 12 mosques in Berlin, had petitioned the court for the right to offer religion courses. An earlier court ruling had denied the petition, on the grounds that the Islamic Federation represents only a small branch of Muslim opinion. The group’s views were considered extreme and at variance with the German constitution insofar as the Muslim group rejected the principle that women should have equal political rights.
The Berlin administrative court said that the government should not become involved in judging the doctrines of any faith, and so these criticisms of the Islamic Federation were irrelevant to the legal issue.
Religion courses are not required for students in Berlin’s public schools. The Muslim group will provide instruction to students who seek it in a few of the city’s primary grades. School officials have said they will move quickly to comply with the court’s ruling.
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