Syrian Refugees Find German Version Of Islam Too Conservative

An interesting story to help break down some stereotypes about refugees in Europe.

Extremist groups and far-right parties have gained popularity in Europe backed by the refugee crisis and escalating terrorism. They claim asylum seekers are conservatives, extremists ... but some of those refugees arriving in Germany are far from trying to Islamicize the country.

In their view, mosques in Germany are too conservative for their taste. The Turkish Islamic Union for Religious Affairs, linked to the Islamist Turkish government, runs many of these mosques.

Many newcomers don't go to the mosque. They say Arab mosques are too conservative, while Turkish mosques speak only Turkish.

"Refugees I’ve spoken to complain that preexisting mosques’ members are overbearing and that the teachings there are irrelevant to their concerns: integration, trauma, and finding footing in a new society. They say older Muslims in Germany focus too much on identity politics and self-victimization," – Alice Su

Some of the people interviewed for this story show their concerns. They don't want to abandon their faith, but they want to fit in. They worry many mosques are too conservative and worried about traditions. Instead of facilitating integration, they feel mosques are trying "to make you just like them".

And without integration, radicalism comes.