Germany Mulls Introduction Of ‘Mosque Tax’ To Do Away With Foreign Funding Of Islamic Institutions

In an attempt to rid the Islamic institutions in Germany of the controversial anti-democratic or 'radical' foreign funding sources, several of the Germany's 16 states have in-principle supported the idea of imposition of a 'mosque tax' mirroring Germany's voluntary Christian 'church tax', reports Economic Times.

Several of the countries’ 16 states had also signalled support in principle for the idea which would mirror Germany's voluntary Christian "church tax".

The interior ministry of the north German state of Mechlenburg-Western Pomerania had said that it was open to finance mosques based on the church model to reduce foreign influence and the danger of possible radicalisation.

The European nation is home to estimated five million Muslims, most of whom hail from Turkey and Arab nations.

About 900 mosques in Germany today receive funding from the Turkish-Islamic Union of the Institute for religion (Ditib), under the authority of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government

The imams of these mosques are therefore paid by the Turkish state. Many of Ditib members have come under scrutiny for suspected acts of spying on the Turkish dissidents living in Germany.

Also, it should be noted that in Germany, several mosques have come under police scrutiny, of which some have also been closed down for preaching radical and militant Islamist ideas.