The “Open Mosque Day” event has become an annual tradition that Islamic communities have celebrated for twenty-five years, coinciding with the Day of German unity, as an expression of the integration of the Islamic community into society, despite the high incidence of discrimination against them.
German media reported that the Central Council of Muslims in Germany designated October 3rd of each year as a day for this event, which is the German Day of Unity, in order to emphasize that Islam and Muslims are part of this unity as well.
Berlin’s mosques opened their doors on Tuesday to all visitors from all walks of life, and organized many events, lectures, and guidance seminars, to create a space of dialogue among the city’s residents, and to spread the culture of tolerance and living in harmony within a diverse society, according to the “Amal, Berlin!” website.
Open Mosque Day in Germany is an annual event that was launched in 1997, and is held on October 3, coinciding with the celebration of German Unity Day. This date was chosen by the Central Council of Muslims in Germany.
Four Islamic organizations established the Coordination Center between Islamic Organizations in March 2007, which are the Turkish Islamic organization “DITIB”, the Islamic Council, the Supreme Council of Muslims in Germany, and the Association of Islamic Cultural Centers. The Council presents itself as a partner in dialogue with political and social parties in Germany.
Unidentified persons had assaulted a 34-year-old young man in Berlin Neukölln on the evening of Sunday, September 24, leading to his transfer to a hospital due to a broken nose, in a new episode of discrimination, hatred, and anti-Muslim behaviour in Germany.
Last June, the “Coalition Against Hostility to Islam and Muslims,” known by its acronym “Claim,” recorded about 900 cases of discrimination and anti-Muslim behaviour in Germany last year.
According to the first document of the coalition supported by the German Family Ministry, it is suspected that there are large numbers of unreported cases and that most of them involve women, due to a lack of confidence in the security authorities.
The coalition stressed that this type of discrimination has an impact on the lives of those affected on a daily basis, calling for the comprehensive elimination of all cases of “hostility towards Muslims in Germany.” He also called for systematically recording and documenting relevant cases.
