Dr. Safi and Mr. Awad outside Penzberg Mosque with Imam Idris and members of boardILDC Executive Director Louay Safi participated in two programs in Germany organized by the senior Muslim chaplain in Germany and by the US Consulate in Munich. The first program involved Muslim service-men and women and their families and was sponsored by the army. It featured several workshops on family values, Islam’s teachings on peace and war, and issues of prejudice and discrimination. The second programs involved several meetings and seminars with public officials, community leaders, and the press.

The Military Family Conference was held in Garmisch, a small resort about 60 miles south of Munich, and was attended by 55 US servicepersons and their families. Dr. Safi spoke on the concept of peace in Islam and discussed Islamic teachings on the limits of war. Speakers included Chaplain Abdul-Rasheed Mohammad, the highest ranking Muslim Chaplain in the military, who in a series of presentations addressed the topic “7 Habits of Highly Effective Families.” Nihad Awad, CAIR executive director, introduced the work of CAIR in the area of human rights and shared with the participants statistics on reported incidents of discrimination against Muslims in the United States and gave tips on how to deal with discrimination and prejudice. James May, IMCOM-Europe Chaplain, stressed the important services rendered by Muslim chaplains and spoke of the need for Muslims to take the initiative in introducing their faith to the larger community .
Speakers of the Military Family Conference. Chaplain Mohammad (first from left) the first Muslim chaplain and ILDC Board Member was instrumental in organizing the Conference

Col. May commeded Maj. Mohammed for his hardwork and for constantly looking for ways and means to serve his community and country. He also expressed hopes that the Muslim servicepersons and their families work closely with other people of faith to bring mutual understanding and help.

Dr. Safi visited the US Consulate in Munich and met with Eric Nelson, the consul general and his assistants. He thanked Mr.
ILDC director meets with leaders of the Muslim German Community in MunichNelson for the excellent work his consulate is doing in helping the German Muslim interact with the Muslim American community and to learn from the experiences of Muslim Americans. Dr. Safi also met with Martin Neumeyer, Member of Bavarian State Parliament in charge of relations with the Muslim community. The discussion focused on the integration of Muslims in Germany. Dr. Safi briefed Mr. Neumeyer on the efforts of ISNA in leading the smooth integration of the Muslim community in North America and stressed the need for developing policies and programs to help the Muslim minority to learn the language and the skills they need to engage civil and government institutions, and to fight prejudice and discrimination. The meeting was followed by a press conference attended by reporters of Bavarian and Turkish newspapers.

participants in the conference listen attentivelyDr. Safi visited two Islamic centers in Munich and Penzberg and exchanged views with community leaders on the experiences of Muslim in the United States and Germany. He spoke at a seminar organized by Penzberg Islamic Forum which was attended by both Muslims and Christians, including Regina Bartusch, deputy mayor of Penzberg, He stressed the need to provide Muslim youth with balanced education and with proper forums to express themselves, and to learn how to channel their energy in ways that would help improve their conditions and that of their communities. “Western Muslim should educate Western society about Islam and serve as bridge builders between their societies and the Muslim world,” he concluded.