Panic in a German school: “The students impose Islamic law and the girls at the back of the class convert to Islam” | outside

About a year ago, some students at the school in Neuss began behaving noticeably differently. Students noticed that many classmates were gathering on the school grounds to perform Friday prayers. The four Muslim students, who acted as “Sharia police,” were reportedly between 17 and 19 years old, according to German media.

They demanded, among other things, that Muslims be allowed to leave school early to perform Friday prayers, and that gender segregation during swimming lessons be applied to teachers as well. They also put pressure on fellow students who they believe are “bad Muslims.” Even when Muslim teachers were called and the students were explained that they could postpone Friday prayers, this had no effect. A short time later, they asked for a prayer room.

During lessons, the four students encourage girls and women to cover themselves in accordance with Sharia law. Many students followed the group's instructions, apparently out of fear. The school administration noticed that more and more girls were dressing according to religious rules. Some students even converted to Islam.

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During the lessons it was noticed that the seating areas in the classrooms had changed. “The students were seated separately based on gender, with boys sitting at the front of the classroom and girls relegated to the back. “The girls avoided eye contact with the male teachers when they spoke to them,” one female student told the German newspaper. Bild.

In December, the school administration reported the extremist activities to the police. The Düsseldorf public prosecutor said police had been investigating since then. State Security is also investigating the case.

Reports say that the case caused a huge uproar in Germany to focus. The Interior Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Herbert Reuel (CDU), reacted with shock to the events. He spoke about serious facts and called on parents, teachers and youth workers to be more vigilant against Islamic extremism among young people. He concluded, “It is important to act early if you notice signs of extremism.”

In a letter to parents, the school said it found the media reports harmful. “We consider the publication irresponsible.” The representation in the article in the Rheinische Post suggests that this is an acute incident, but this is not the case. The incidents described are not primarily related to a specific issue that can be solved. In principle, as is the mission of all schools, we bear the social responsibility of democratic education. “Striving for tolerance and respect is not only our mission, it is our stated intention,” the letter said.

The school maintains constant contact with parents and students. “We see the school as a mirror of society, and therefore also of continuous social change, which is going through a continuous process of development and as an educational institution that responds appropriately to constantly new challenges. For this purpose, we make contacts with experts, for example in the university and training field, as well as at the governmental level. We have We invited a scientific expert on this topic to attend an internal faculty training session.