German State To Offer Islam Class In Every School

The western German state of Hesse expects to offer instruction in Islamic religion for Muslim students in every school in the state, a state official said Friday.

At least one school in every district in the state will offer Islamic instruction in the new school year, and at some point classes will be spread to every school, Culture Minister Karin Wolff said. The teaching will be phased in and a specific time plan will become clearer in the future, she said.

Germany has roughly 3.5 million Muslims, mostly of Turkish origin, making them the country’s largest single minority group.

German students are required to take a religion course, or alternatively an ethics course, every year.