Germany: Muslim students encourage German girls to wear the hijab, claiming that showing uncovered hair is ‘haram’

Image: Jihad Watch

The growing influence of Islamism in German primary schools was the central focus of the July 2 episode of the BR podcast "Kaffee Extra Schwarz" (Coffee Extra Black), hosted by journalist Oliver Mayer-Rüth and well-known Islam critic Ahmed Mansour. The episode shed light on alarming reports from Steilshoop, a district in Hamburg, where non-Muslim students—particularly girls—are reportedly being pressured and harassed by some of their Muslim classmates.

Mayer-Rüth recounted the disturbing case of a young German girl attending a local primary school, who was told by Muslim peers that her uncovered hair was “haram”—forbidden in Islam—and that she should wear a headscarf. This was not an isolated comment, but part of a broader pattern of exclusion and intimidation. According to the girl’s mother, her child was not only told she "did not belong at school" because of her blonde hair but was also physically assaulted on multiple occasions.

The podcast also highlighted even more troubling narratives. The same mother alleged that during school events, some parents and even a few teachers openly glorified the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led massacre of Israeli civilians. In another instance, an Afghan father was said to have praised the Taliban regime at a public school gathering—raising serious questions about the ideological environment within certain school communities.

Mansour, co-host and a longtime advocate for integration and liberal democracy, described the situation in a single word: "infiltration." He emphasized that under the banners of “political correctness” and “anti-racism,” many educators and school administrators have chosen to ignore or downplay these incidents. Mansour stressed that his intention was not to criminalize children but to uphold the values of the German constitutional order. Yet, he noted a concerning trend: since around 2018, there has been a marked decline in the willingness of teachers to confront such ideological challenges, often due to fear of stigmatizing their schools as "problematic."

Social pressure, Mansour explained, also plays a role in silencing moderate Muslim voices. Even Muslim families who oppose such extremist influences sometimes feel compelled to conform, fearing isolation within their own communities. These trends are supported by survey data. The 2022 "Lower Saxony Survey" revealed that 67.8% of Muslim students questioned believed the rules of the Quran were more important than German law. Even more striking, 45.8% agreed with the idea that a religious Islamic state was the ideal form of governance.

Mansour cautioned that allegations of "anti-Muslim racism" are often used as a tool to shut down meaningful discussion about the spread of Islamist ideology. He drew a clear distinction between Islamists and ordinary Muslims, stating that criticism is directed only at those who seek to impose their religious-political views on others—not the broader Muslim community.

Nonetheless, the podcast episode itself became the target of criticism. BR journalist Fatemeh K. accused the program of engaging in “stigmatization and anti-Muslim racism,” expressing concern via a LinkedIn post about the continued existence of a publicly funded platform airing such content. She tagged prominent figures—including Federal Minister for Anti-Discrimination Reem Alabali-Radovan and various diversity organizations—urging them to intervene and amplify their voices against what she perceived as bias.

Adding another layer to the debate, the Hamburger Morgenpost reported that some Muslim students who chose not to wear a headscarf were reprimanded by their peers. At the same time, non-Muslim students were insulted with slurs such as “pork eaters,” indicating that religious identity policing among children in schools is not limited to isolated incidents but reflects a broader cultural tension.

As Germany continues to grapple with integration and multiculturalism, the podcast and its aftermath have ignited critical discussions about how far ideological influence should be allowed to shape school environments—and how to distinguish legitimate criticism from harmful generalizations.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)