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November 23, 2006
Germany: Mosques Proliferating
From Deutsche Presse Agentur, news that mosques in Germany have been increasing in number. Figures from the Central Institute of Islamic Archives show that where there were 141 mosques in the country in 2004, but now there are 159 mosques, with a staggering 128 more under construction.
The figures come from a report by the institute to be published next month. Salim Abdullah of the Soest-based institute said that in addition to the traditional mosques there were also hundreds of prayer rooms and halls where Muslim services were held.
Salim Abdullah said there were "around 1 million" Muslims in Germany, compared to 56,000 at the start of the 1980s. This figure is dubious - unless he is referring to those Germans who are actually citizens. Most figures state that there are at least three million Muslims in Germany, with 1.9 million of these being of Turkish origin.
While the Central Institute of Islamic Archives claims a proliferation of mosques, churches are declining in Germany, according to a survey by Dresdner Bank. The reasons for the decline are poor funding and dropping attendance rates.
The tabloid paper Bild stated that in Essen, poor attendance had caused services to be cancelled in 96 of the region's 350 churches.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at November 23, 2006 4:17 PM
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