Muslims forming charity system for kindergartens and care homes

Muslims in Germany want to form their own charity to support retirement homes and kindergartens nationwide, leader of the Central Council of Muslims (ZMD) said Friday.

Such a system is desperately needed by Muslims and would have the same rights and duties as Christian charities, Aiman Mazyek told daily Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.

In some parts of Germany it is almost impossible to find a non-church affiliated kindergarten, he explained, adding that they are allowed to reject potential employees from other religions.

“That is legal and I understand it,” he told the paper.

But it is also fairly common to find Christian kindergartens with enrolment of up to 90 percent Muslim children and no Muslim employees, he said.

Thus it is time to open the way for alternatives, Mazyek added.

The proposed association of charities would be supported by Germany’s most important Muslim organisations, which already run most mosque communities around the country.

In addition to the ZMD, Germany’s Muslim council, or Islamrat, the DITIB Turkish association and others are all working on the project together, he said.