Joint peace prayer by Jews and Muslims canceled
A joint prayer for peace between Jews and Muslims planned for Monday evening in Munich has been canceled at short notice following criticism. "It was a prerequisite for my patronage that a representative of the Jewish community would also say a prayer. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case," said Munich's Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) in a statement on Monday. "I regret this, but I also understand it. The time is obviously not ripe at the moment to enable a joint prayer for peace in and for Munich."
Penzberg Imam Benjamin Idriz and Rabbi Jan Guggenheim from the Jewish Community of Munich, among others, were supposed to have said prayers at the event on Marienplatz. The Protestant regional bishop Christian Kopp and the Catholic cathedral priest Monsignor Klaus Peter Franzl were also due to take part.
However, the role of the Muslim Council Munich in the event had sparked controversy in the run-up to the event. According to the City of Munich, mosque associations with links to the German Muslim Society (DMG), which according to the Bavarian Office for the Protection of the Constitution is "known as a branch of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood", were also members of the association in 2018. According to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the DMG's efforts are "directed against the free democratic basic order of the Federal Republic of Germany". However, according to information provided by the city at the time, the Munich Muslim Council itself was not an object of observation by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
The president of the German-Israeli Society, Green politician Volker Beck, nevertheless called for the peace prayer to be canceled following a report in the "Jüdische Allgemeine" newspaper on the links between the DMG and the Muslim Council. "In itself, it is a nice idea when Muslims, Christians and Jews pray together for peace," said Beck. "I consider the prayer for peace in this constellation to be an event that only serves to court and protect positions that trivialize Hamas and Islamism." Turning to Mayor Reiter, Beck said: "I think the event should not take place as it is now and you should not be its patron."
Imam Idriz expressed his disappointment at the cancellation on Monday. "The intention was expressly to acknowledge the coexistence of religious communities," said Idriz, whose association Münchner Forum für Islam had initiated the event. "Unfortunately, the basis for this intention was taken away due to last-minute cancellations from the Jewish, Protestant and Catholic sides."
The Munich Muslims had wanted to set "a sign of peace". "When, if not now, must we muster all our strength to respect, appreciate and accept one another," said Idriz. "The fact that this should not be possible in Munich remains a very bitter experience, and not just for Muslims."
The controversy surrounding the Muslim Council Munich's involvement in the event led to questions about their ties with the German Muslim Society, which is associated with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, a group known for opposing the democratic structure of Germany. Despite the Protestant regional bishop and the Catholic cathedral priest's intent to participate, the cancelation of the peace prayer was seen as necessary due to the Jewish community's withdrawal, sparking disappointment within the Muslim community in Upper Bavaria, who saw the event as an opportunity to promote peace among religions.
Source: www.dpa.com
