Trial and Error: Muslims and Shari’a in the German Context

Abstract

The migration of Muslim workers, to Western Europe, and Germany especially, can be seen historically as one of the significant global population shifts. The discussion in this chapter reflects a ‘starting point’ in 1949, which should be viewed in the context of a history of 350 years of German legal development. Thirty years after this date, the majority society and its unanticipated religious minorities had to cope, through a process of trial and error, with factors concerning differences in their religious and social outlooks. The orthopraxy oriented Muslim minority had to adapt to a changing and secularizing majority. The emerging learning process is described, with its various societal players and legal barriers. The survey will finish with a discussion of German perceptions of Shari’a, including the latest debate, which refers to the conflict over different views of human rights.