Muslim members of the German army have not had the same ‘pastoral care’ as Christians or Jews, or the assistance of religious imams when needed. At one time it sounded incredible, but now that situation is changing
German Armed Forces Parliamentary Commissioner Effa Högl emphasized the various needs of the troops In his third annual report in mid-March, he emphasized military chaplaincy for Muslims as well.
Whichever party was in charge of the Ministry of Defense in the past, they thought this was impossible As a result, Muslim clerics have not been seen serving in the German military for years Hyogel of the center-left social democratic party SPD wants to change this situation
He felt that it was very unsatisfactory for soldiers who believed in Islam to not have it Therefore, he urged the Ministry of Defense to quickly appoint the qualified people on contractual basis Högl recalled joining the rescue efforts of German troops in southeastern Turkey last year after the earthquake.
Muslim soldiers were also among the troops deployed there However, two non-Muslim military chaplains provided pastoral care
In response to a question, the German Ministry of Defense said that according to information received up to 2023, the introduction of separate pastoral care for Muslim soldiers has been discussed in the German military for several years.
Catholic and Jewish military chaplains also supported this requirement The United States, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria and Norway have Islamic clerics in their military. Most of them also have military imams Germany lacks a state-controlled system in this regard because there is no organization in the country that represents all Islamic groups.
In contrast, in 2019, a Jewish military religious service was introduced in the German military with the support of Germany’s Central Council of Jews. The Council represents all Jewish communities And it is believed that there are about 500 Jewish soldiers in the German military
A spokesman for the German Ministry of Defense confirmed that the introduction of pastoral care for Muslims in the military has been in the works since mid-March.
