University of Münster opens Germany's first Islamic theology faculty

The first Islamic theology faculty in Germany has been inaugurated at the University of Münster. This new faculty holds the same academic status as Catholic and Protestant theological faculties at the university, allowing it to establish its own degree programs, conduct examinations, and oversee doctoral research.

Founding Dean Mouhanad Khorchide emphasized that the faculty aims to develop an Islamic theology “in and for Europe.” He stressed the necessity of academic freedom, stating that the faculty must remain independent from state influence, religious associations, or community pressures. Khorchide noted that a faculty is not a pulpit for preaching, but a space for rational reflection and scientific inquiry.

Khorchide also addressed the current fragmentation of Islam in Germany along national lines—such as Arabic, Turkish, Albanian, and Pakistani—and called for the development of an Islam that contributes to a “German and European identity.” Gonca Türkeli-Dehnert, State Secretary for Culture and Science in North Rhine-Westphalia, reaffirmed the state's support for ensuring Islamic theology has a permanent place at German state universities.