Ending of cooperation with the Turkish DİTİB in the area of Islamic religious instruction
30.4.2020
Question for written answer E-002639/2020
to the Commission
Rule 138
Christine Anderson
The German federal state of Hesse is ending its cooperation with the DİTİB (Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs) in the area of Islamic religious instruction. The explanation lies in the doubts the Hesse authorities have regarding the DİTİB’s independence from the Turkish State, in particular following the attempted putsch in Turkey in 2016. The association was required to answer a range of questions concerning its own structure and to submit supporting documents, but failed to assuage doubts concerning the influence exerted by the Turkish Government on its work in German schools [1] .
Imams are chosen by the Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı (Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs) and nominated for posts in Germany. Financial support is also provided, albeit sometimes in shady circumstances, as illustrated by a corruption scandal which came to light in France [2] .
- 1.In the Commission’s view, how much influence is the Turkish Government exerting on the Member States?
- 2.Is the Commission aware of the problem of Islamic religious instruction being misused to exert political influence, a state of affairs which may partly explain the Hesse Ministry of Education’s decision to end cooperation with the DİTİB?
- 3.What view does it take of the practice employed by Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı and the DİTİB of dispatching teachers and funding to the Member States?