The car park in front of the mosque starts to get crowded, little by little the mosque-goers from the city and the surrounding area arrive. Up to 200 Muslims can gather for Friday prayers in Röthenbach – it is probably the biggest event in the Nuremberg region since the beginning of the second lockdown. Week after week.The Turkish-Islamic community in Röthenbach has long been aware that the number of visitors is noticeable in times of pandemic. Recently, there have been many enquiries in the neighbourhood about how it is possible that so many people meet despite all the distance and contact rules. Mayor Klaus Hacker (Free Voters) was also questioned about this. “There are certain fears and anxieties among the population,” he says. That up to 200 people are praying together, “that’s quite a figure”.By comparison, the county council with its 70 members last decided to meet as a committee of only 14 members for a period of six weeks to avoid large crowds. At Christmas, many church services in the district were cancelled. According to the Protestant congregation, the Holy Cross Church towering over Röthenbach could “only” accommodate up to 70 worshippers in accordance with the hygiene regulations in force. Currently, however, the services are held in the parish hall, where there is much less space. The smaller mosque in Lauf currently allows 60 people in.
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Antisemitism, Antizionism, Jihadism and the Reunited Germany. News by Fred Alan Medforth