Germany’s Education Union (VBE) has called for Islamic religion classes to be offered in all schools across the country. VBE President Gerhard Brand said students should be able to learn about their faith and other religions in a school setting, urging politicians to expand and support the program nationwide.
Islamic classes are currently available in a few states, including North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria. The union emphasized the need to assess and improve existing programs and quickly expand them.
The initiative is also seen as a way to counter extremist views often spread online or within families. An estimated 5.5 million Muslims live in Germany.