The Chairman of the Zentralrat der Muslime (Central Council of Muslims in Germany), Aiman Mazyek, proposes sending ten imams into schools together with ten rabbis.
In principle a fine idea. But does a clear stance on the part of the Muslim associations depend on Jewish participation?
This is not a bilateral conflict in which two sides must move towards one another in order to resolve it. There are no assaults by Jewish children on their Muslim schoolmates; there are no Jewish demonstrations in Berlin at which Islamic symbols are burned; there are no Muslim dead who were killed in France or Belgium because of their faith by Jews invoking the Jewish religion.
Elio Adler, Chairman of the WerteInitiative/jüdisch-deutsche Positionen, comments: “We do not need symbolic politics. What we expect is that the Muslim associations take the road – possibly a painful one for them – of sweeping out anti-Judaism, anti-Zionism and antisemitism. If this is done credibly and sustainably, Jews will certainly also be open to many forms of joint endeavour.”
For decades now, Jews have been and remain ready for interreligious dialogue (see, for example, meet2respect) – that has never been the stumbling block. In this case, however, the ball is clearly in the court of the Muslim associations.
