In Germany, Syrians find mosques .
Refugees and Turks pray for the duration of Friday prayers on the Turkish Kuba Camii mosque placed close a resort housing refugees in Cologne's district of Kalk, Germany.
by using COLOGNE, Germany
Hani Salam escaped civil battle in Syria and survived the experience from Egypt to Europe. However when he saw guys with furry long beards at a mosque near his present dwelling in Cologne final November, he was once worried.
The guys's look reminded him of Jaish al-Islam, the Islamist rebels who took over his place of birth close Damascus, stated Salam, 36, who wears a mustache but no beard. Certainly one of them told Salam that "good Muslims grow beards, no longer moustaches," he recalled – a centuries-historical idea that he dismisses.
"the whole thing about this mosque made me believe uneasy," he mentioned.
Syrians in Germany say a few of the nation's Arab mosques are extra conservative than these at residence.
Over two months, a dozen Syrians in six locations of worship in three cities instructed Reuters they have been uncomfortable with very conservative messages in Arabic-speaking mosques. Humans have criticized the way the beginners gown and practice their faith, they said. Some insisted the Koran be interpreted phrase-for-phrase.
It's a highly contentious hassle in a country the place Europe's migrant inflow is already having deep political and social consequences. In Germany this year replacement for Germany, a populist get together that says Islam is incompatible with the German constitution, has gained floor. There were several assaults with the aid of militant Muslims. Syrians and others say the mosque situation is including to mistrust.
In Germany, different one of a kind faiths are almost always supported through the state. But lots of the nation's four million Muslims originally got here from Turkey and attend Turkish-speaking mosques which can be partly funded by means of Ankara.
Last yr around 890,000 asylum-seekers, greater than 70 percentage of them Muslims, entered the country. Around a third came from Syria. Lots of them do not need to go to Turkish mosques in view that they do not recognize the sermons. They decide on to worship the place persons converse Arabic.
but in these mosques, other problems arise. They're ordinarily short of cash, or else supported with the aid of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. Some back ultra-conservative or incredibly literal interpretations of Islam, comparable to Wahhabism or Salafism.
"lamentably it is actual that a colossal majority of Arabic-talking mosques are more conservative than Turkish mosques," said Professor Mouhannad Khorchide, who heads the Centre for Islamic Theology at Muenster tuition. That poses issues for integrating those who find themselves less conservative.
"How can one soak up these folks if they're enthusiastic about their faith?" stated Khorchide. "When there's a scarcity of presents the Salafists try to fill the hole."
"PURE ISLAMIC TEACHINGS"
In Cologne, Salam stated that 75 Syrians are living within the same motel as his family. Of them, only one veiled lady prays at the nearest Arabic mosque.
"One time once I was once there, a Salafist requested a younger Arab man to leave considering that he was wearing shorts," he introduced. "on the Turkish mosque no person cares what you are carrying."
In a windowless ground ground room within the Arabic mosque one Friday in August, some 200 guys, together with about two dozen with bushy beards and trimmed moustaches common of extremely-Orthodox Muslims, crowded for prayers.
Afterwards, a worshipper scolded three Lebanese guys for saluting him when he entered the mosque. They had interrupted the sermon, which he mentioned was once forbidden. "Your Friday is long past!" he advised them, lifting his fingers toward his face and pressing his fingers collectively to stress that their moves had made their prayers void.
The imam who led the prayers stated the group will not be political or violent. Requested about the Syrians who felt uncomfortable at mosques like his, he said: "it can be an honor to be referred to as a Salafist. We are only eager about giving individuals of our group pure Islamic teachings."
despite the fact that Salam cannot understand the sermons in Turkish, he stated he has started going to a Turkish mosque as an alternative.
"BRAINWASHED"
A 2008 survey of Muslims and Christians in Europe by way of the state-funded WZB Berlin Social Science Centre observed fundamentalist attitudes had been less ordinary among German Muslims than in other places in Europe, but still particularly popular: For example, almost half of the Muslims it surveyed in Germany felt religious legislation to be extra most important than secular legislation.
Germany's domestic intelligence agency has recorded greater than 320 attempts with the aid of Salafist Muslims to contact refugees last 12 months, most of the time through offering food, garments, free copies of the Koran and aid with German to asylum seekers residing in shelters.
Earlier this month, a Syrian dedicated suicide in prison after he was once arrested on suspicion of planning to bomb an airport. His brother and associates in Germany have stated he was "brainwashed" via extremely-conservative imams in Berlin.
The intelligence company has advised nearby authorities against housing asylum-seekers near Salafist or Wahhabi mosques.
"we know of at least 90 Islamist mosques the place movements geared toward refugees are taking place. These mosques are generally Arab-dominated and influenced by using Salafism," stated Hans-Georg Maassen, head of the company.
On the al-Nur mosque in Berlin, which is run by using Wahhabis, Syrian Abed al-Hafian mentioned he was once alarmed by a strict interpretation of the Koran and Hadith, a set of sayings of the prophet. He recalled a sentence from Hadith that the preacher quoted on his first Friday: 'every novelty (in religion) is innovation, and each innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance results in the hellfire.'
"I had in no way heard that sentence in Syria," mentioned the 42-year-old father of three, who arrived in 2014. "The message is apparent and is directed at us Muslims: 'don't you dare interpret your faith. Take the Koran word for phrase.' it can be a obstacle."
He stated he determined to take what he wants from the sermons and "ignore the leisure."
even though officials accept that now not all Salafists are violent, some Syrians worry that in the event that they go to Arabic-speaking mosques, they is also visible as radicals.
In Hamburg, Syrian Kurd Abu Mohammad stated he has kept away from going to a mosque on account that he arrived in Germany two years ago seeing that his mom and dad, who got here here a decade in the past, advised him it would handiest bring challenge.
"the federal government is most likely monitoring Salafists," said the 32-12 months-ancient father of six, using a nickname due to the fact he said he fears for his safeguard and that of household nonetheless living in Damascus.
"i have a two-yr visa and the last thing i would like is situation."
FUNDING gap
The challenge is also rooted within the schisms in Islam, however it is made worse via the constitution of religious funding in Germany. Because the start of the 20th century Germany has had a process of accumulating taxes for worship, which can be then paid out to devout groups like Catholics, Protestants and Jews.
Muslims cannot improvement from this, on account that the four most important corporations that represent Muslims in Germany can't agree to merge into one devout physique, a requirement to obtain taxes.
"Most communities cannot even come up with the money for a right mosque ... And most can't pay a good-informed imam to serve their group," stated Daniel Abdin, co-chairman of the Shura Council in Hamburg, an umbrella organization for town's Muslim group.
"so you become with a crisis the place persons with little or no advantage of modern day theology are serving as imams."
five years in the past, the federal government hooked up five Islamic theology centers to educate imams and Islamic educators with a 20-million-euro ($22 million) supply from the schooling Ministry. The technique has been partly positive: Islamic stories are taught to Muslim pupils in many schools.
However few of the more than 1,800 pupils who've graduated from the theology centers have long gone on to serve as nearby imams.
On the other hand, Khorchide and other Islam gurus are hopeful that the inflow of Muslim asylum-seekers with an open procedure to religion is an possibility to promote a more "reasonable" Islam within the Arabic-speaking mosques.
In Hamburg, Abu Mohammad says he has stopped attending mosque in any respect.
"I pray at home," he mentioned. "i'm sure Allah listens."
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