Integration by interreligious education. A religious pedagogical discourse within a society of migration

The paper raises the question of integration which recently became a dominant topic in political and public discourse in Europe. This issue frequently relates to Muslims who seem to have difficulties in integrating into a secular society due to their religion. Such a position insinuates that the integration of Muslims demands higher efforts than in other cases. The raising number of Muslims in Europe has an increasing influence on the cultural and religious image of European societies. As a consequence schools became a colorful mosaic of cultural and religious plurality. That is why pupils who participate in denominational religious education have to cope with the task of handling the plurality of differences and commonalities that result from various religious beliefs. Beginning with the actual situation the article tries to examine from a religious pedagogical position the relevance of interreligious education for integration processes within a pluralistic school condition. Interreligious education is the attempt to arrange a common religious instruction that aims at interreligious agreement and includes Islamic as well as Christian pupils and teachers. The focus lies on the question, if and to what extent one can assume that there is a relation between interreligious education and integration. For this purpose the paper evolves an inclusive notion of integration that does not imply the assimilation of Muslim pupils to the majority, but rather considers all involved protagonists as equals. All of the participants of interreligious classes shall meet other religious beliefs with respect and understanding without claiming a hegemony between different religious viewpoints. As a result processes of interreligious understanding and reflection can encourage religious identity rather than weakening it.