German government in talks on foreign financing of mosques

According to local reports, Berlin asks Saudi Arabia, Qatar and others to report planned funding of religious facilities

By AP and ToI Staff 29 December 2018, 10:32 am

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Cologne's Central Mosque run by German-Turkish organization DITIB is pictured on September 29, 2018 in Cologne, western Germany, prior to the visit of the Turkish President. (AFP PHOTO / Patrik STOLLARZ)

BERLIN — The German government says it is in talks with various countries to improve the transparency of foreign financing of mosques and prevent the funding of extremist facilities.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger said Friday that Germany has been cooperating with Kuwait at the latter’s initiative since last year, and that Kuwait’s government is working to “examine particularly thoroughly” the funding of projects in Germany. He wouldn’t name other countries with which Germany is talking, citing confidential diplomatic discussions.

The daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung and public broadcasters NDR and WDR reported that the ministry had asked Saudi Arabia, Qatar and others to report planned financing of religious facilities in Germany.

Germany’s interior minister has said that he would like to see German mosques become as independent as possible from foreign financing.

According to Deutsche Welle, German lawmakers are considering introducing a “mosque tax” for Muslims to fund institutions. This is similar to taxes Christians in Germany pay to fund activities, collected by the state and then transferred to religious authorities.

A mosque tax is “an important step” that would allow “Islam in Germany to emancipate itself from foreign states,” said Thorsten Frei, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU), is a quote to Die Welt cited by Deutsche Welle.

According to the report, German officials estimate that there are between 4.4 and 4.7 million Muslims living in the country.