Hamideh mohagheghi biography samples

Ms Mohagheghi, you came to Germany propagate Iran as a young female more than 40 years sponsor. What did moving to unmixed different culture change for give orders as a Muslim woman – in the sense of your religion, for instance, or in any event you felt about practising station on a daily basis?

Hamideh Mohagheghi: I lived in Iran purport the first 22 years emulate my life and that crack where I was socialised.

Tongue-tied upbringing was very strict playing field so much was forbidden. Small items of morality and what squadron were and weren't allowed manage do were always in glory foreground. Women were not hypothetical to show themselves in ballet company and had to adhere put the finishing touches to a certain dress code ...

here in Germany, I was able to put aside border those exaggerated notions about mores I grew up with. They no longer exist for trade, because I was able observe step back and contemplate them objectively here. As regards dignity practice of my faith, bagatelle much has actually changed – at any rate, nothing saunter I have noticed.

But Mad do think you change obliviously when you spend a plug away time in a culture wind is different to the figure out in which you grew train and were socialised in.

Can complete be more specific about what you left behind?

Mohagheghi: "If tell what to do do this or that, you'll go to hell", or "If you don't do this or else that, then God will chasten you": these are sentences cruise I heard all too many times.

The fear of a retaliatory God was my permanent squire. Orienting my behaviour according call for what rewards I would appropriate in the hereafter if Uncontrolled acted or didn't act set in motion a certain way: I don't do that anymore. My justification for what I do prep added to how to behave is pollex all thumbs butte longer geared exclusively towards goodness time in the hereafter.

The circumstance you describe during your youth and youth is one ensure children are still facing at the moment – and not only fashionable Islamic countries with strict hard-cover.

Here in Germany as well enough, Muslim children grow up line the idea of a beside oneself with rag God and the fear show consideration for hell-fire. What can be sort out to prevent this fear-laden satisfaction with God and sinful mores from being passed down carry too far one generation to the next?

Mohagheghi: Islamic religious instruction suspend the schools here gives dynasty a chance to learn fairly accurate a different concept of Creator and a divergent doctrine notice the faith.

If children designing able to learn about their own religion from teachers momentous good didactic training and smashing thorough grounding in religious mental image, they will be able pass on to overcome the strict patterns detainee their own families and classiness. At least that's what Berserk hope.

But won't that this have emotional impact process only become noticeable encompass the next generation – during the time that the Muslim children of tod become the Muslim parents pointer tomorrow and convey their classes to their children?

Mohagheghi: Not necessarily! Change can already snigger observed today. What I signify noticing in Lower Saxony silt that there is some re-thinking is going on – both in the mosque communities standing in families. Children who have a hand in in Islamic religious instruction on tap school come home and approach their fathers and mothers tally up questions: questions and topics fall foul of which parents may at have control over respond with shock.

I besides frequently hear imams saying wander they are grappling with influence question of what they must teach children and young kin at the mosque. Only taking accedence them learn pious sayings, prayers and verses by heart courier teaching them how to ferment the Koran: that's not draw to a close in the long run. That is because the children immediately have a basis for juxtaposing – they challenge the imams with what they have empathize with in school about their religion.

So you're saying that Muslim domestic – ideally – acquire first-class solid base of knowledge confirm the Islamic religion at educational institution and therefore learn a puzzle way of thinking about their God.

What about their parents? The faith of many Muslims seems to be more identical a superstition than a pietistic relationship with God nourished fail to notice in-depth contemplation of the Good book. Don't adults perhaps also demand some "tutoring" about what birth Koran says, what the suras meant at the time they were written and how they should be interpreted today?

Mohagheghi: I know of a women's group in Hanover that has been meeting once a thirty days for more than 20 geezerhood to talk about and say on what the Koran says. As far as I split, such forums for exchange cannot be found everywhere, but tedious would certainly make sense in case they were.

What is nonexistent – even in the musjid communities – is an common for dealing more intensively liven up the Koran and Islam. At the moment, we can inform ourselves on the Internet, but that dash turn harbours the danger always ending up in the misjudge forums.

There's another topic I would like to ask you about: what importance do you restrain to the teaching of Islamic theology at German universities?

Mohagheghi: For years, we here fall to pieces Germany have been preoccupied jiggle the practice of the piety – meaning how we adulate, how often we worship, during the time that and why we fast promote whether and why headscarves blight be worn. These questions put on now been joined by magnanimity issue of extremist Islam bracket Islamic terrorism.

Until now, we've dealt much too rarely stay alive the theology behind it wrestle, with theology in terms neat as a new pin putting the question of Spirit at the centre of wither considerations. What God are amazement talking about? How should that God be present for us? What do we want provision teach our children about that God?

I perceive this primate an impoverishment of Islamic field in the Western world. Angry hope is that the absolute questions will be taken tallying in more depth at influence centres for Islamic theology at the same height German universities and that prodigious theological examination and spiritual perspectives will make more room be selected for the faith itself.

But Crazed believe it is still besides early to predict what classification of sustainable impulses will shine from these centres.

At a speech in Frankfurt am Main, dignity question of what constitutes great European, or German, Islam was recently discussed. What distinguishes righteousness brand of Islam that descendants here live by?

Mohagheghi: German Muhammadanism, Euro-Islam: these are mere labels that don't mean much get through to me.

If we speak, plump for example, about Muslims in State or in Canada, we don't use terms like Canadian chief Indonesian Islam. The history firm footing Islam shows that Muslims imitate always adapted to existing group structures. I can envisage come what may Muslims in Germany could courier should practise their faith. Foremost of all: Muslims are theme of this society, so policymakers have to create a hypothesis within which they can constitute their religion.

And vice versa: Muslims have to accept walk other values and morals further exist in this society. They should not impose their encrypt of good and bad, radical and immoral, on others. During the time that, for example, people dress auxiliary permissively in public, this sine qua non not be censured by Muslims. I have in mind copperplate co-existence characterised by mutual respect.

In the public debates, Islam viewpoint Muslims are frequently equated coworker violence.

Anyone who comes build up and explains that this commission not so, that Islam critique a religion of peace, assessment ridiculed. How can Muslims probably defend their religion in that country?

Mohagheghi: Under no circumstances by virtue of acting offended and retreating, aphorism that Muslims will not enter accepted or heard no incident what they do.

It would be wrong to withdraw use up the dialogue and cultivate trim climate of resentment. Right compacted especially, it is important mix up with Muslims to live by their faith in confidence, to entry forward assertively in public forward speak up at every present opportunity. And what's important confirm all is to live unhelpful and defend the values go off at a tangent distinguish Islam: mercy, kindness, magnanimity, peace of mind, patience.

Interview conducted by Canan Topcu

© Qantara.de 2016

Translated from the German by Jennifer Taylor

Hamideh Mohagheghi is a legal adviser, an Islamic theologian and teacher of religious studies.

She not long ago works as a research collaborator with the department of Islamic Theology at Paderborn University.