GERMANY:Germany has pledged to make the integration of Muslims in Europe a priority of its six-month EU presidency by fostering dialogue and offering training to imams.
It also called on European Muslims yesterday to do more to adapt to European values and fight radicalisation in their communities that could spawn home-grown terrorism.
In a briefing on Berlin's priorities for its EU presidency, German interior minister Wolfgang Schäuble said parts of the Islamic world had still failed to embrace the Enlightenment, the Age of Reason experienced by Europe in the 17-18th centuries.
"Anyone who cannot accept the equality of men and women has not even come close to meeting one of the basic conditions for the 21st century. It's in Islam's own interest to make that very clear and decisive," said Mr Schäuble, who added that equal rights for women were enshrined in the UN charter and were not some "peculiarity" of Europe.
He said the EU could offer help to Muslim communities by offering training to Islamic imams, who would be able to work towards integrating young people in these communities and steering them away from radicalisation. Germany would also promote an EU-wide dialogue on Muslim integration over the next six months to swap best practice in states with large Islamic minorities, such as France and Britain.
"We should not be arrogant but only helpful. After all, Christianity waged terrible conflicts for a few centuries until the process of Enlightenment took root, and part of Christianity shows signs of falling back in that direction," he added.
The integration of Europe's 13 million Muslims has become a key goal in states such as Germany, France, the Netherlands and Britain since the terrorist attacks in Madrid and London. Berlin has already held talks with Turkey, the country of origin of most of its Muslim immigrants, to ensure that imams sent to Germany speak German, while in Britain a debate over the wearing of the veil recently became a hot topic.
Mr Schäuble said it was his personal belief that the burka - the traditional Islamic clothing worn by some Muslim women that covers their bodies from head to feet- was the opposite of what Europeans considered communication. "Open societies mean living and talking together and not being separated from each other. And to that extent the burka is an element that hinders communication," he said, while stressing that this was his personal belief.
Politicians should not try to regulate what headgear men or women wore, he added.
Mr Schäuble said there was a need for more dialogue between Muslim community leaders and the authorities to solve problems. "My impression is a growing number of Muslims and Muslim representatives react better if they have a bit more hope that they are fully accepted as citizens with equal rights," he added.