A public broadcaster announced Friday details of weekly Islamic sermons in German for a Muslim audience, saying it will begin publishing them on the internet next month. Suedwestrundfunk (SWR), which provides TV and radio services in south-western Germany, said it had engaged Aiman Mazyek, general secretary of the German Council of Muslims, and Bekir Alboga of the Ditib Turkish Islamic Union of Religious Centres, as writers.
There were still vacancies for two Muslim women to write the "Word of Islam" addresses. The four would take turn and turn about writing personal reflections about behaviour or events from a Muslim perspective, the director-general of SWR, Peter Voss, said.
SWR is the first German broadcaster to issue weekly Islamic messages, similar to existing televised talks for Christians. The first SWR online address would appear April 20. It would be reviewed by theologians and editors before publication. A national public broadcaster, ZDF, aims to release a weekly Islamic message on the internet starting in the summer.
Both broadcasters say they will not put the messages on television yet, but only publish the texts online. They say they have an obligation to reflect the thinking of the 3.5 million Muslims living in Germany. |