SOCIETY
Hamburg becomes first to legalize Muslim feast
Baku, August 16 (AZERTAC). Authorities in Hamburg have become the first in Germany to officially recognize Islamic holidays. Muslim employees and students will be allowed days off to celebrate their holidays and Islamic classes will be allowed in state schools, authorities and Islamic groups said after negotiations lasting five years.
The decision forms part of an agreement between the north German city and local Muslim groups.
Similar agreements exist with Christian and Jewish communities in the city.
Hamburg`s mayor, Olaf Scholz, said Tuesday that he hopes the deal will serve as an example for other German cities.
Authorities estimate some 150,000 Muslims live the city of almost 2 million people. The growing public presence of Islamic culture in Germany has sparked anger among conservatives and far-right groups.
“We hope that the introduction of Muslim religious classes in the northern city-state will be a signal for the other fifteen German states,” said Daniel Abdin from Hamburg`s council of Islamic communities. “This agreement is an important step toward a recognition of Islam in the country.”
The agreement will come into force next year, the first of this kind in a country, home to some four million Muslims, about half of whom have German citizenship.
The total population is around 82 million in Germany, where religious and ethnic tolerance is a sensitive issue.
Federal conservative lawmaker Volker Kauder, a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, said earlier this year that Islam was not part of Germany`s tradition and identity.
A court in Cologne banned circumcision on young boys in July, sparking criticisms from the Muslim and Jewish communities.
Muslim groups in Hamburg said the agreement was a historic sign of acceptance.