Calls for comprehensive Islamic religious education to be introduced in German schools have received cautious support from the head of the Turkish Community in Germany. Gökay Sofuoglu, chairman of the organization, voiced his general agreement with the concept, stating that Islamic religious instruction should be provided in a similar manner to existing Catholic and Protestant religious education programs.
Speaking to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, Sofuoglu emphasized the need for a degree of standardization across the country. He acknowledged, however, that the German state should maintain its secular stance throughout the process.
A significant challenge to the implementation of such a nationwide program, Sofuoglu pointed out, lies in the absence of a recognized national Islamic cooperative partner. He further noted that educational policy in Germany falls under the jurisdiction of the individual federal states (Länder), complicating the prospect of nationwide regulation.
The call for comprehensive Islamic religious instruction was initially made by the education association Verband Bildung und Erziehung (VBE) earlier this week. The discussion highlights ongoing considerations surrounding religious education within the German school system.