The Merkez Mosque as a Symbol of New Acceptance

Since the late 1980s, more and more impressive mosques have been built in Germany. They are increasingly replacing the old makeshift mosques from the Gastarbeiter days. North Rhine-Westphalia's largest mosque celebrated its topping-out ceremony last week. Details from Alexandra Jarecki

The Merkez mosque in Duisburg, Germany (photo: dpa)
The Duisburg mosque, which is being constructed with the help of funding provided by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the European Union, is intended to be a place for interreligious dialogue

​​For a long time, Islam has not been regarded as a "Gastarbeiter religion" any more, but has become an increasingly visible fixture on the urban landscape in many German cities – after all, there are now more than three million Muslims in Germany.

As a result of the terrorist attacks by radical Islamists worldwide and the ongoing debate over the allegedly insufficient integration of many Muslims, mistrust between Muslims and non-Muslims in Germany has grown substantially during the last few years, as several representative surveys have indicated.

The largest Muslim place of worship in North Rhine-Westphalia is currently being built in Duisburg-Marxloh. The Duisburg mosque, which is being constructed with the help of funding provided by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the European Union, is intended to be a place for interreligious dialogue. The topping-off ceremony for the new mosque was held last Friday (September 8, 2006).

A broad alliance

Three hundred invited guests and visitors listened to the Islamic prayers in the shell of the Merkez Mosque. The topping-off ceremony for the three-story, Ottoman-style building was celebrated on a grand scale, and there was good reason to celebrate.

The building of the mosque in Duisburg's Marxloh district is considered to be a great success, since the mosque is the project of a surprisingly broad alliance of churches, parties, citizens, and the local Islamic congregation, which accomplished the entire undertaking with strong determination. Leyla Özmal of the Duisburg Development Corporation (EGDu) was involved from the very beginning:

"During the last two years, there has been a great deal of talk about Germany as an immigration country – about the demographic development. I believe it has become obvious to very wise people that we have a large foreign population and that it is actually good that they are here. Even if we have to 'tolerate' a mosque or look at something completely unfamiliar … as long as it takes place within a democratic framework, we simply accept it."

The heated debates about the project went on for six years. Nevertheless, today an imposing building stands on Warburckstraße which, with its curves and domes, is reminiscent of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. The prayer room provides space for over a thousand worshippers. The Muslim women will pray in a gallery high above the main room.

A place for learning and intercultural dialogue

The unique and unusual thing about this project is out of sight in the basement of the mosque, however. Over a surface area of 1,000 square meters, a large meeting space is taking shape, with an Islamic library, a bistro, and several seminar rooms.

German and Turkish classes will be conducted there, and, ideally, Germans and Turks, Muslims and non-Muslims will congregate there. For this reason, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the EU provided 3.2 million euros for the meeting space.

Duisburg's mayor, Adolf Sauerland, a staunch supporter of the project, praises the Turkish-Islamic Union DITIB, which is linked to the Turkish state and thus is not suspected of fundamentalism, for its willingness to engage in dialogue.

"I would say that it is certainly something beyond normality, but it is not a miracle. It was the sensitive way that the DITIB Mosque congregation approached its wish to build a large mosque at that time. They handled it openly. They made an effort to present their idea to politicians, local opinion makers, and other religious groups. They publicized the concept and thus were able to gain allies."

Mutual acceptance – a prerequisite for co-existence

Silvia Brehnenmann owns a house very close to the Merkez Mosque. Not all the residents are pleased about the new neighbors. She sees the new house of worship as very positive, however.

"The people are finally getting what they have long been entitled to! People who have served here in our community for a long time already, who are important here. And finally they are being treated a bit more equally. Yes, the mosque makes me very happy. I'm seeing it from the inside for the first time today. It's incredible!"

Sixty thousand Turkish Muslims currently live in Duisburg, and there are approximately 40 Islamic prayer rooms there. The Muslim congregation collected a total of seven million euros to build the Merkez Mosque.

The president, Mehmet Özay, is tremendously proud of the development in Marxloh. "It is intended as a center of learning and a meeting place which will be open to a multicultural community and where joint events and programs can be held. That is unique!"

A sign of benevolence or an image campaign

Through the building of the mosque, those responsible also hope to stimulate tourism and thus usher in better days for Marxloh. The structural changes in the Ruhr area during the past few years have also left their mark on Duisburg-Marxloh.

First the coal mines were closed, then the steelworks, then wealthy Germans and foreigners moved away. Those who remained were particularly people with an immigrant background, i.e., former Gastarbeiter and their families, and welfare recipients. There are many Muslims in both groups.

What does the new mosque mean for them? Leyla Özmal of the Duisburg Development Corporation summarizes it this way: "I think they feel accepted. The Muslims are taking on a certain responsibility with this project, which is publicly supported. They will be the hosts. And being the host also means assuming the responsibility for guests, for content, and, of course, for the building as well. That must also be mastered, and that is why it is so important to tackle it together."

Alexandra Jarecki

© DEUTSCHE WELLE/Qantara.de 2006

Translated from the German by Phyllis Anderson

Qantara.de

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