Berlin: Mayor criticizes cooperation with mosque communities to combat anti -Semitism

Berlin: Mayor criticizes cooperation with mosque communities to combat anti -Semitism

According to a report by the B.Z./DPA, the mayor of the Berlin district of Neukölln, Martin Hikel (SPD), has expressed concerns about cooperation with mosque communities in order to combat Islamic anti -Semitism. Hikel described the idea that one could fight anti -Semitism with mosque associations as a naive belief. He argued that many of these clubs had a political mandate and only represented 20 percent of Muslim believers. Neukölln therefore does not cooperate with reactionary mosque associations. Güner Balci's integration officer supported this perspective and explained that anti -Semitism in the Arab population with the mosque associations and the hate preaching of some imams had grown against Israel.

As a Berlin citizen, I find this discussion about the cooperation with mosque associations extremely relevant with regard to the struggle against anti -Semitism. Neukölln is a district with a large Muslim population and therefore has a unique perspective on this question. The concerns of Mayor Hikel and the Integration Commissioner Balci sound plausible and show that the clubs do not represent the entire Muslim community. If we want to effectively combat anti -Semitism, we may have to rely on other ways.

Hikel also emphasized that parts of the left scene had a critical view of Israel and that it would consider it an imperial or colonial state. He and other those responsible no longer tolerate this view. This shows that the problem of anti -Semitism exists in different contexts and it is important to tackle it comprehensively.

Overall, the debate about cooperation with mosque associations in the fight against anti -Semitism seems to be complex. It is crucial that in addition to the perspective of politicians, the perspectives of the Muslim communities and other relevant actors are also taken into account. The local level plays an important role here, since it has an immediate impact on the residents of the district and can provide a possible context for the topic discussed.

Source: B.Z./DPA