EKD Position Paper on Christian – Islamic Dialogue

The Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) seeks and fosters dialogue with people of Muslim faith. It is convinced that peaceful relations between people of different beliefs can only take shape through encounters and contacts. In addition, we cannot rule out the possibility that God speaks to people from outside the church. The Bible gives many examples of God’s self-revelation in the neighbour, the other and the stranger. God having entrusted to us “the message of reconciliation” in Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:19), the EKD also advocates for reconciliation in dialogue with those of other faith, through words and actions. In a deep sense, interreligious dialogue belongs to the church’s innermost being. The EKD has set out its fundamental faith-based perspective on the existing religious diversity in the publication Christian Faith and Religious Diversity – a Protestant Perspective.[1] 

I.
Muslims are part of Germany’s pluralist society. Many people of Muslim faith have settled in Germany, particularly since its 1961 agreement with Turkey to recruit migrant workers from that country. Half of them today have German nationality.

The German constitution (the Basic Law, adopted in 1949) guarantees freedom of religion (Article 4). The separation of church and state, already laid down in the Weimar constitution of 1919, commits the state to neutrality towards “religious or philosophical creed”.[2] Freedom of religion and belief is guaranteed in the framework of applicable laws. The EKD regards it as a core task to strengthen and protect this freedom. It expressly welcomes the way in which religion is fostered under current constitutional law. Never in German history have religions been able to develop as freely as they can under these general conditions.

Over a long period, the Protestant church found it difficult to acknowledge religious pluralism. Today it sees this as an element of faith: it has recognised that professing Christian faith necessarily entails recognising the right to hold other beliefs. After all, faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit and a matter of individual certainty. God’s potential for becoming known to people is unlimited. All of us are made in the image of God.

The EKD reaffirms its acceptance of the fact that religious diversity in Germany also applies to Muslims and to Islam, their religion. Regardless of the differences between the claims to revelation and truth found in Christianity and Islam, it acts towards Muslims in a spirit of respect and esteem.

II.
A clear theologically and legally founded affirmation of religious freedom and religious diversity requires that faith communities, non-confessional groups and society as a whole practise and develop their own capacity for pluralism. Owing to the presence of different, contradictory views, they may have to deal with uncertainty or the inability to cope, or find it hard to take another perspective. Diversity can lead to excessive efforts to raise a community’s profile over against others. Here the EKD perceives a number of risks and challenges that need to be met.

In Germany, at present, there is a widespread rejection of the Islamic faith in the population that even extends to massive hostility and threats to Muslims. Indeed, of the ten people murdered by the National Socialist Underground (NSU), a neo-Nazi group uncovered in 2011, eight were Muslims. 2017 alone saw numerous attacks on mosques and Islamic institutions. Such attacks are motivated by both racism and hate directed at certain population groups. The EKD condemns these acts of violence most strongly and is very concerned at the disregard for civilised behaviour and values that they express. It opposes all efforts to counteract the existing religious diversity and to create a religiously or culturally homogeneous society. Precisely because Christian history, and notably that of Protestantism, is not free from violence towards those of other faith, the EKD here recognises a special responsibility and task for itself. Recalling the beginning of the Thirty Years War 400 years ago, during which different Christian confessions engaged in combat, and centuries of theologically supported anti-Judaism, we have every cause to remain watchful and humble.

Against this background, we note with great concern the link between religion and violence that is currently found in religious fundamentalism, extending even to what is called Islamist extremism and terrorism. The attacks of 11 September 2001 in the United States of America, and many other acts of violence, demonstrate the lengths to which self-styled religious individuals can go in contempt for their own lives and the lives of others. Opposition to such an understanding of religion must be unanimous and unambiguous. People again need reminding to show respect for human life, which is not just a recognised human right[3] but also a religious value. A prerequisite here is religious education and basic competence in matters of faith. This is an assignment not just for Muslims - whether conservative, traditional, orthodox or liberal – but for society as a whole, which needs to actively engage with extremist religious ideologies, policies and worldviews in its midst. In view of the history of Christianity, Protestants have no cause to be arrogant or patronising. The violent combating or repression of other beliefs and believers must have no place in an open, pluralist society.

Partly as a consequence of the above, a further challenge to religious pluralism is currently arising from the fact that religious faith in Germany is viewed critically and is being pushed out of public life. This position, associated with secularism, equates the constitutional separation of religion and state, plus the state’s religious neutrality, with the extensive protection of the general public from all religion. This is a one-sided attitude and contradicts the understanding of religion held by the EKD and other faith communities that operate in both the public and private sphere and seek to serve society and the public good. Protecting religious freedom encompasses freedom to manifest one’s religion in the public sphere, also and precisely when, in actual practice, this sometimes entails complex processes of negotiation and coordination in a society with plurality of religion and belief. These processes are not always free from conflict.

III.
The Protestant church looks back with gratitude over the past decades of interreligious dialogue with Muslims and the experience gained. Within the purview of the EKD and its member churches there are a host of ongoing dialogue processes and initiatives, which have led to intensive contacts, multi-faceted cooperation and sustained interpersonal trust. It regards dialogue between religions – thus also with Islam - as part of the open-ended learning curve of the Reformation. At the same time, this approach makes it clear that such a dialogue was not always present, possible or even desired during the now 500-year-old history of Protestantism. Dialogue between people of different faiths is essential for the peaceful and constructive shaping of life together in a pluralist society. While no one can be forced into dialogue, actively participating in this dialogue also demonstrates openness for mutual understanding and capacity for peace-building, which, in turn, can lead to a greater social acceptance of religions.

The EKD is therefore quite naturally interested in continuing and deepening the dialogue with Muslims and the communities they have founded in Germany, and in making further progress. It is very glad of all the positive experiences gained in different areas, e.g. at schools, where Protestant and Muslim students together learn about each others’ faith or, at tertiary level, through the newly founded centres for Islamic studies and theology at German universities. It also welcomes the launching of cooperation in the areas of diakonia and church social services, work with refugees and pastoral care ministries in special settings and institutions.

Yet difficulties and negative experiences also hamper the dialogue process. The current political developments in Turkey and other countries have affected aspects of the dialogue situation in Germany; questions are arising about the structural proximity of German Islamic associations to foreign governments. The existing legal order starts from the principle of equal treatment of religions, but the hope shared by many that this would soon open up comparable forms of organisation on the Muslim side has so far not been fulfilled. Negotiations between individual Länder authorities and the lslamic religious communities located in those federal states have, in some cases, come to a standstill. In this context, the EKD is concerned about the polarisation that has arisen in political debates and in society, and likewise about linking of religion to nations or ethnic groups, a trend that it regards as unhelpful for our living together in a pluralist society.

IV.
Disappointed expectations and loss of trust put dialogue to the test. At the same time, they provide an occasion to recall the basic standards of mutual reliability. These include both fundamentally accepting the constitutional framework for religion and showing tolerance towards those of other faith. The latter is also a basic precondition for constructive dialogue.

The EKD understands itself to be more than a mere onlooker in the question of how the existing Islamic associations and communities can thrive in a way that preserves their equality. After all, the message that it proclaims involves advocating for a peaceful and just life together. Ultimately, of course, it is up to the state to set and stipulate the general legislative framework on religion, with all its rights and duties for the individual communities; however, our Protestant church can, where possible, offer assistance and enter into cooperative partnership. It regards the current struggle to establish the legal position of Islamic associations in Germany as a test, in terms of social acceptance, for the existing body of law on religion and likewise for religious communities.

The EKD is aware that the legal form of the Evangelical Church in Germany is itself the result of a process of gradual detachment and emancipation occurring between throne and altar. The present order did not fall from heaven nor is it immutable; it offers the guarantee, however, of a maximum of religious freedom while simultaneously preserving other legal goods and the individual rights of all.

Muslims and representatives of other religious communities do not need to structure or organise themselves like churches in order to be able to enjoy the rights provided by the German constitution. Account can very well be taken of the special features of Muslim associations derived from their religion. Nonetheless, qualitative and quantitative standards must be established in order to comply with statutory provisions regarding religion that preserve equality and freedom. Against this background, the EKD is very keen to see Muslims guaranteed freedom of action and participation in the opportunities for development offered by the public sphere.

At the same time, we note that extremist and fundamentalist currents within Islam in Germany are heightening prevailing reservations about their loyalty to the law, e.g. with respect to the separation of religion and state, gender equality, or peace skills and tolerance towards other religions and beliefs. We warn against jumping to premature and over-general conclusions though; differentiation and discernment are of paramount importance. Over the last few years and decades we have walked together in respectful communication and encounter, and this interfaith dialogue must be pursued and intensified. It would be desirable in future to reach out even more into society and include members of other religious communities and civil society who have not yet made their contribution. After all, in a pluralist society, freedom both for and from religion can only be lived out and shaped together.

Hanover, 24 September 2018

[1] Christian Faith and Religious Diversity – a Protestant Perspective. A Foundational Text from the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (2016). https://archiv.ekd.de/christian_faith_and_religious_diversity.pdf.

[2] See the revised translation of the Basic Law at https://www.btg-bestellservice.de/pdf/80201000.pdf.

[3] Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 3.