Public schools in some of Germany’s most populous cities are helping such students come up with answers in a counterintuitive setting: Islam class.

The classes, taught by Muslims and intended for Muslim students, were first launched in the early 2000s and now are offered as electives in nine of Germany’s 16 states, by more than 800 public primary and secondary schools, according to the research network Mediendienst Integration. They include lessons on the Quran, the history of Islam, comparative religion and ethics. Often, discussions shift to the students’ identity struggles or feelings of alienation.

Germany has the European Union’s second-largest Muslim population after France, according to estimates by Pew Research. In 2016, 4.95 million people, or 6.1 per cent of the German population, were Muslim. But less than half of those pray regularly, and even fewer regularly attend a mosque, according to the latest government surveys.

The country’s leaders have expressed an ambivalent view of Islam, at best. Mr Seehofer’s statement that “Islam does not belong to Germany” came just months after the Islam-bashing AfD, or Alternative for Germany, entered parliament. Ms Merkel denounced the statement and ruled out sharing power with the AfD. Nevertheless, the AfD has steadily gained support over the past two years: on 14 October, it scored the biggest electoral gains of any party in Bavaria, Germany’s most populous state.

Source: The Independent

Many of the candidates say they were motivated by growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S., inspired by President Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric and policies.

The U.S. Muslim population is growing and now stands at 3.45 million. There are fewer than 300 in political office, with only two Muslim Americans holding seats in Congress, according to Jetpac, a Massachusetts nonprofit organization that supports Muslim-American candidates.

Muslim Americans report increasing levels of harassment since 2001, but more recently attacks have spiked, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of FBI data on hate crimes. Between 2015 and 2016, assaults against Muslims in the U.S. exceeded the number reached in 2001. Fifty percent of Muslim-American adults surveyed by Pew Research in 2017 said life in the U.S. has become more difficult due to discrimination, racism and prejudice. The next series of primaries in the 2018 elections is set for August. There are still nine Muslim Americans running for Congress, at least 18 seeking spots in state legislatures and another 10 campaigning for other state or local offices, such as governor or mayor, according to Jetpac…

Source: National Public Radio (NPR)