Open mosque day
The day of the open mosque in Germany has existed since 1997 and is an annual event day that takes place on October 3 , the day of German unity . According to the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, the date was chosen deliberately in order to clarify the goal of cross-religious understanding. In addition, the Muslims' self-image of being part of the German state reunified in 1990 and their solidarity with all non-Muslim residents of Germany should be expressed.
On this day, the mosque communities offer guided tours through the mosque, panel discussions and book and art exhibitions to the predominantly non-Muslim visitors. Folklore, tea, coffee and pastries are also often part of the supporting program. Possible reservations and fears are to be overcome through encounters and discussions.
In 2020, Mosque Open Day will be overshadowed by the corona pandemic . Accordingly, a restricted program is offered in the mosques, with distance rules and a mask requirement. For the first time this year the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat is also offering the opportunity to take part in a virtual visit to a mosque.
story
The Day of the Open Mosque (TOM) goes back to an initiative of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany (ZMD) in Cologne in 1997 , in which other Muslim umbrella organizations took part. The reason for this was the European Year Against Racism and Xenophobia (1997) and the Intercultural Week - Week of Foreign Citizens from September 28th to October 4th 1997. The Intercultural Week takes place every year at the end of September, from Sunday to Saturday before the harvest festival.
On the first day of the open mosque on October 3rd and 4th, 1997, 600 mosques nationwide took part. Since then, around 1,000 mosques from various Islamic associations have opened their doors to over 100,000 visitors across Germany every year .
Since 2007, Open Mosque Day has been chaired by the Coordination Council of Muslims in Germany (KRM). The KRM is the umbrella organization of the four largest Islamic organizations in Germany : Diyanet İşleri Türk İslam Birliği (DİTİB), the Islamic Council for the Federal Republic of Germany (Islamic Council), the Association of Islamic Cultural Centers (VIKZ) and the Central Council of Muslims in Germany (ZMD ). The KRM was founded during the German Islam Conference in 2007.
Every year the Coordination Council promotes the Open Mosque Day, in which over 1,000 mosque communities take part, with a motto:
- 2007: Mosques - bridges for a common future
- 2008: Mosques - places of reflection and celebration
- 2009: Mosques - an integral part of society / 60 years of the Federal Republic and its Muslims
- 2010: The Koran - 1400 years, current and in the middle of life
- 2011: Muhammad - Prophet of Mercy
- 2012: Islamic Art and Culture
- 2013: Environmental protection - mosques are committed
- 2014: Social Responsibility - Muslims for Society
- 2015: Young Muslims in Germany - Motivated, Engaged, Active
- 2016: Hijra - Migration as a challenge and an opportunity
- 2017: Good Neighborhood - Better Society
- 2018: Religiousness - individual, natural, normal
- 2019: People make home / s
- 2020: Faith in Extraordinary Times
Opinions
“This day alone is not enough to get in touch with our neighbors and interested parties. But this campaign helps Muslims to show solidarity with their German society and to promote openness and peacefulness across the country. "
“We deliberately chose the day of German unity because it symbolizes that two countries have come together [sic]. We want people across all religions to come together better. "
“Twelve years ago the Central Council of Muslims (ZMD) combined the Day of German Unity with a Day of the Open Mosque. The intention was to show that the Muslims also belong to the unity of Germany. "
The managing director of the German Cultural Council , Olaf Zimmermann , spoke of an excellent opportunity to approach a supposedly foreign culture and was of the opinion that Islam is an important part of Germany.
The choice of October 3rd as the date for the Open Mosque Day is repeatedly criticized. For example, in 2007 the chairman of the CDU parliamentary group in the Hessian state parliament, Dr. Christean Wagner , criticizes the fact that the day of the open mosques is held "of all things on the day of German unity". The CDU politician called the choice of dates "insensitive" and "not very clever".
Open mosque day in other countries
Switzerland
Since 2007, several Muslim umbrella organizations have also organized an Open Mosque Day, including the Federation of Islamic Umbrella Organizations in Switzerland , the Umbrella Association of Islamic Communities in Eastern Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein (DIGO) and the Association of Islamic Organizations in Zurich (VIOZ). The day was offered for the first time in November 2007 as part of the “Week of Religions” series of events organized by the Interreligious Working Group in Switzerland (IRAS COTIS).
In 2011, the Open Mosque Day was held on September 10th. The motto was "Bridges for a common future".
In 2014, the Open Mosque Day will take place in Switzerland on November 8th.
USA
In the south of the US state of California, mosques have been opening for one day every year since 2000. The Annual Open Mosque Day will take place on October 16, 2011.
France
The day of the open mosque in France, the Mosquée porte ouverte will take place on September 16, 2011.
Great Britain
Since 2015, the Muslim umbrella organization The Muslim Council of Britain has been holding a nationwide Mosque Open Day on February 18 under the title “Visit my Mosque”.
See also
Web links
- TOM: Central KRM office for current materials, information on mosques and events
- AMJ : Announcement - Open House 2020 live stream
- DİTİB : Open Mosque Day
- IGMG : Site with materials and publications on the day of the open mosque
- ZMD : Day of the Open Mosque
- 90,000 visitors to the Open Mosque Day - 800 mosque communities take part, Mitteldeutsche Zeitung of October 4, 2006
- Press releases from the State of Berlin: Berlin's integration officer welcomes efforts by Islamic organizations to promote transparency and openness in 2007
- Spiegel Online: Call for Tolerance - “Open Mosque Day”, October 3, 2001
- Spiegel Online - Leonie Wild, Berlin: Homosexuals and Muslims in a monologue, October 3, 2008
Individual evidence
- ↑ islam.de / Newsnational / “Faith in Extraordinary Times” - Mosques in Germany are opening their doors again! Retrieved September 28, 2020 .
- ↑ Digital Open House 2020 in live stream - Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Germany. Retrieved September 28, 2020 .
- ↑ Islam.de: Info on TOM 2006
- ↑ Opportunity for encounters and discussions. 50,000 visited “open mosques”. ( Memento of December 11, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), October 4, 2008
- ↑ Unity and justice and freedom - these words have an existential meaning , especially for us Muslims , speech by Central Council Chairman Ayyub Axel Köhler in the Rüsselsheim Mosque on October 3, 2008
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from June 4, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Christean Wagner: Retrieved October 17, 2019 .
- ↑ Open Mosque Day , NZZ on November 2, 2009; Religious Week 4th-11th November 2007 (PDF; 160 kB); First Swiss Week of Religions ( Memento of May 2, 2007 in the Internet Archive ): “At the beginning of November, the first Swiss Week of Religions will take place with dozens of events across the country. The organizers want to promote interreligious dialogue in Switzerland. "
- ↑ http://www.digo.ch/assets/files/Dokumenten/TagderoffenenMoscheen2011.pdf ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Association of Islamic Organizations in Zurich (VIOZ)
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from July 7, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Swiss Mosque Open Day on Saturday, November 8th, 2014 , but those who celebrate the Sabbath can also visit the “Blue Mosque” in Zurich on Sunday, November 9th, 2014 from 1pm to 5pm.
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original dated November 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Une nouvelle mosquée ouverte à Paris 18e
- ↑ France24: Porte ouverte fr mosquée de creteil (2009)
- ^ [1] , Visit my Mosque.
