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iN Muslims have been
living in Germany
for more than 300
years.
GerMaNy
As the proportion of Muslims in nation’s Muslims, though the a distinct phenomenon has
Germany has increased, owing government has observed taken place to a great extent
to an asymmetrical birth-rate the formation of Islamic through the immigration of
and occasional conversions organisations with uneasiness Muslims from Turkey, North
to Islam as well as migration, and mistrust. Africa, and the Balkans, which
potential resentment against According to the latest report began with the signing of
the Islamic religious community by the Verfassungsschutz, recruitment agreements in
has grown among a Christian the federal organisation for 1961, the first of these with
or secular majority population the defence of the German Turkey. These recruitment
that almost automatically Constitution, Islamists and agreements foresaw the time-
associates the word ‘Islam’ representatives of extreme restricted immigration of people
with religious fundamentalism ideologies only make up about from different countries in
and extreme political one per cent of the Muslims the Mediterranean region in
ideologies. The profusion living in the Federal Republic of accordance with a principle of
of Islamic organisations and Germany. rotation designed to prevent
groups claiming to be official Generally, it is believed that permanent immigration.
representatives of Islam in Islam first came to Germany However this principle was soon
Germany has contributed with the labour migration. abandoned when it became
to this picture. On the other However, Muslims have been clear that there was little use
hand, such organisations have living in Germany for more in replacing skilled workers
established a functioning and than 300 years. These first with unskilled ones. Yet the
largely accepted network of immigrants were of course idea remains that immigrants
Islamic infrastructure. The small groups that played a should be regarded as ‘guest
official policy of the federal rather minor role. workers’ or ‘foreigners’ rather
government has not been As in other European countries, than permanent citizens.
overly concerned with the it is also the case in Germany Thus the German authorities
religious interests of the that the presence of Islam as have developed no long-term
Hussein Revivalism 43
