The Future of the German Islam Conference: Between Security and Partnership

The Future of the German Islam Conference

The German Islam Conference (Deutsche Islam Konferenz, DIK), established in 2006, represents a historical paradigm shift in the relationship between the German state and its Muslim population. Initiated by former Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, the DIK is the first systematic effort to institutionalize relations between the German state and Muslim actors, signaling official recognition of Islam as a permanent reality in German society. 

By stressing that “only those who sit down with us at the same table can be involved in shaping the future,” Cornelia Pieper, who served as Minister of State in the German Foreign Office, framed the DIK as both a forum for inclusion and a mechanism through which the state could structure its relationship with Muslim actors.

For the past two decades, the German Federal Government has sought to promote an Islam firmly rooted in Germany: An Islam of German Muslims, shaped in, from, and for Germany.2 However, today, the DIK’s legitimacy is being questioned, and its future remains contested. While some Muslim actors see the DIK as a necessary catalyst for institutionalization, others view it as a flawed instrument of state control and security policy. A recurring critique among Muslim leaders is that the conference has been shaped primarily through a security perspective.