The Religious Education-Oriented Activities of DITIB in the Context of the Contributions to the Muslim Community in Germany

Germany, which went on to close the labor gap after the Second World War with guest labor agreements, has also made agreements with some European countries as well as countries with a large Muslim population such as Turkey, Morocco and Tunisia. As a result of the employment agreements, many Muslims emigrated to Germany and there was a significant Muslim presence in Germany that developed dynamically.

Immigrant workers have problems in many subjects such as harmony, belonging, identity, alienation and discrimination arising from their presence in a society where they are foreigners and these problems have led them to develop tighter attitudes and to organize associations among themselves. In particular, due to the economic crisis in 1973, many immigrants decided to settle in Germany permanently and took their families with them by taking advantage of the family reunification process, which led to the acceleration of the organization process and the establishment of many mosque associations. These associations, usually based in places of worship, merged in the process and formed regional associations, federations and upper roof organizations.

The Turkish - Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB - Turkisch Islamische Union der Anstalt für Religion e.V.), one of the most important roof organizations in Germany, was founded in Cologne in 1984, today, it is the largest non-governmental organization in Germany with nearly 900 member associations. The focus of the activities carried out by DITIB is on religious education and the planning, coordination and preparation processes of these activities are carried out by DITIB Directorate of religious services and Religious Education Practices and DITIB Directorate of Educational Research and Publication services. The prepared programs and planned activities are carried out in the mosques of DITIB through religious officials appointed by DIB (Directorate of Religious Affairs)

In this study, DITIB, which carries out religious education activities for the Muslim community in and outside mosques in Germany, focuses on pre-school education activities, Qur’an and religious information courses for primary and secondary students, studies for Youth, Guidance and counseling services, studies for students who have completed theological education in Germany, seminars for students who have completed Theological (İlahiyat) education in Germany, International Theological Program.

DITIB provides religious education services for almost all age groups. Kindermoschee, values education program for pre-school children; Bed-i Bes­mele program planned to improve the sense of belonging of children starting their educational life; Qur’an and Religious Studies courses are organized to meet the basic religious educational needs of primary and secondary school children. In recent years, the conduct of religious education activities in classrooms equipped in the school style and according to a curriculum similar to formal educational institutions has contributed significantly to the importance and qualification of religious education activities.

Activities such as Youth Talks, Values Education Program and Education Umrah are carried out for young people within DITIB. With these programs, young people should be aware of their beliefs and worship, to maintain their mental, physical and mental health, to adopt the mosque as a source of true religious knowledge, to preserve their religious, moral and national identities, and to be knowledgeable, it is aimed to contribute to their place in society as moral and virtuous individuals.

Religious counseling and spiritual guidance services are well-needed today, with a wide range of workspaces, such as prisons, hospitals, elderly homes, addiction treatment centers, and various organizations where care services are carried out. DITIB, which carries out successful services in this important field of Service, continues to work both in the preparation of a training program on Islamic spiritual guidance and in the training of experts who will carry out consultancy and guidance services.

One of the notable works of DITIB, which continues its work towards all Muslims in Germany, is the seminars organized for muhtadis (converts to Islam). The seminars organized to address the lack of information on the subjects they need are aimed to enable the converts to learn the basic principles of their new religion from authentic sources and to reach a level where they may read the Qur’an.

The International Theology (Ilahiyat) Program, which was established in 2006 with the cooperation of the Directorate of Religious Affairs and DITIB to provide qualified human resources to meet the needs of the Muslim community in Germany, is of great importance in terms of training of religious officials in Turkish and German languages. UIP students who have studied in Turkey under the program are employed as “contracted Religious clerics” in other European countries, especially in Germany, after successfully completing their theological education.

Another important work that DITIB has performed is educati­onal/financial assistance for students studying at universities. In order to educate qualified Muslim scholars and to support Islamic studies, DITIB provides educational assistance to undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students studying at various universities in Turkey and Germany. In addition, DITIB is working to meet the housing needs of the students through the student houses it has opened within the DITIB associations in the regions where there are theological centers in Germany.

DITIB, which enriches its services for religious education with its broadcasting services, carries out important studies in the field of religious education in Germany with its works prepared in accordance with the society, the religious education process of the mosque and the academic community. DITIB carries out translation activities as well as original bilingual publications and continues its publishing activities under the supervision of Directorate of Educational Research and Publishing Services. In addition, the specialized library, which is opened in the headquarters building, provides access to basic resources for researchers working in the field of Islamic Theology in Germany.