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Excitement at CAU: Islam Week causes strong complaints and accusations!
The controversies surrounding the Islam Week 2025 at the CAU Kiel: gender segregation, anti-Semitic incidents and university examinations.
Excitement at CAU: Islam Week causes strong complaints and accusations!
The excitement surrounding the Islam Week 2025 at Kiel University (CAU) is currently causing a lot of discussion among students and the public. The focus is particularly on the lecture by the Salafist speaker Sertac Odabas, who appeared in May as part of the action week at the invitation of the Islamic University Group Kiel (IHG). The organization “IMAN”, which the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution assigns to Salafism, caused a considerable stir with its participation in the event. Loud kn online the allegations are serious. Participants complained about strict gender segregation and anti-Semitic stickers that were discovered on students' laptops. There were also worrying comments about the punishment of women.
The university administration has taken note of the complaints and is responding to them. Chancellor Claudia Ricarda Meyer emphasized that the allegations are taken seriously and should be dealt with in a comprehensive review. The IHG will also be heard in this context. This has now distanced itself from anti-Semitism and rejects criticism of gender segregation. According to the university group, the seating arrangement for the lecture was not compulsory, but rather a voluntary offer. However, the strict gender-segregated seating arrangement will not be continued, and all posts about Islam Week have now been deleted from social media.
How ndr reported, the university did not provide a list of speakers at the event, which also leads to the criticisms raised. The CAU, on the other hand, emphasizes that it is a cosmopolitan institution and wants to promote exchange within the framework of the law. In order to prevent further conflicts, the university management is planning to revise the procedure for allocating space for university groups.
The issue of Salafism is not new and sheds light on a broader social discourse about radicalization and the challenges associated with extremist beliefs. Salafism, which is classified as ultra-conservative and characterized by a strictly dual worldview, has become increasingly important in Germany in recent years. According to the Federal Agency for Civic Education The number of Salafists in Germany rose from 5,500 in 2013 to over 10,000 in 2018. This is particularly worrying as the scene successfully appeals to young people and in many cases leads to radicalization.
The University of Kiel is not only facing an internal challenge, but is also part of a larger social phenomenon that requires dealing with extremist content. The CAU's next steps and the exchange with IHG will be crucial to strengthening trust in the university and ensuring that the institution's core values are preserved.