First Islamic theology faculty in Western Europe opens in Germany
The first faculty of Islamic theology at a state university in Western Europe has opened in Münster, Germany.
The University of Münster in Germany has opened the first Islamic theology faculty at a state university in Western Europe. This is reported by Newformat.
The dean of the new department is Austrian sociologist and religious scholar Muhanad Khorchide, who has worked at the university for 15 years. According to him, Catholic, Protestant, and Islamic theology are now united under one roof in Münster. By 2027, a "Campus of Religions" is planned to open, which will house all theological disciplines. The faculty already includes eight professors and more than 50 staff members.
The number of students is expected to grow from 15 in 2012 to 500. It is noted that demand for graduates is linked to a shortage of Islamic religion teachers in German schools: in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia alone, around 3,000 such teachers are needed, while currently there are only about 330. The dean announced his intention to promote "open, enlightened Islam" and to develop interfaith dialogue.
As the Union of Orthodox Journalists reported, Islamists killed 28 Christians and a pastor in Nigeria.
