Report Says German Muslims Must Be Better Integrated

January 8, 2008

Author: Ian Wilhelm

Source: Pew Forum for Religion & Public Life

Wire Service: RNS

http://pewforum.org/news/display.php?NewsID=14727

Muslims in Germany could become a potential recruitment pool for Islamic terrorists if they are not better integrated into society, according to a recent report by the country's Ministry of the Interior.

The report, based on a survey of 1,750 Muslims by the Institute of Criminology at the University of Hamburg, looks at a host of issues surrounding the 3.3 million Muslims who live in Germany.

The survey found that almost 39 percent of German Muslims believe violence is justified if their religion is threatened by the "Western world." About 44 percent of the respondents also said they would enter eternal paradise if they were to die defending Islam.

The findings reveal a "serious potential for Islamic radicalization" in Germany, Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble told the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper.