Berlin mayor proposes state-supervised Islamic education to prevent radicalization after deadly attack
Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner calls for state-supervised Islamic religious education in schools, framing it as a shield against radicalization days after a fatal Islamist attack in the capital.
Wegner's proposal
Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) has called for Islamic religious education to be introduced in the city's schools under state control, arguing it can help prevent radicalization. In an interview with the German Press Agency (dpa) published on Wednesday, 29 July 2026, Wegner warned that some young people are radicalized through contacts in unregulated prayer spaces. "There are always young people who are radicalized through radical religious contacts in so-called backyard mosques," he said. Wegner used the term "backyard mosques" to describe informal places of worship that he said can become venues for radicalization.
Religious education at state schools could contribute a great deal to protecting young people from such influences. This includes Islamic education taking place at schools, which would thereby be subject to state control.
Wegner argued that state-supervised Islamic instruction could counteract radicalization tendencies present in a small number of Berlin's mosques. He also stressed the need to increase pressure and oversight on radical mosques with the goal of banning them. "At the same time, we must increase the pressure and control on radical mosques, with the aim of banning them," he said.
The attack
The mayor's remarks follow an Islamist-motivated terrorist attack in Berlin on the evening of Saturday, 25 July 2026. A 21-year-old attacker killed one woman and injured 31 others, some seriously. The assailant initially fled but was shot dead by police during an operation in the Spandau district on Sunday, 26 July. The police operation ended the manhunt less than 24 hours after the attack. Authorities described the attack as Islamist-motivated. The attack has prompted renewed debate about integration and radicalization in the German capital.
- Islamist attack kills one woman, injures 31
- Attacker shot dead by police in Berlin-Spandau
- Wegner calls for Islamic education under state control
Political background
The proposal revives a commitment from Berlin's 2023 coalition agreement between the CDU and SPD. The CDU and SPD formed a coalition government after the 2023 Berlin state election, and their joint programme included a pledge to create a mandatory elective subject called "Weltanschauungen/Religionen" (worldviews/religions), intended to cover a range of worldviews and religions, not only Islam. The measure was never implemented. Currently, participation in religious education in Berlin is voluntary. Wegner's push for Islamic education under state oversight is framed as both a security response and a step toward fulfilling the coalition's earlier promise.
Wegner, who has led Berlin's government since 2023, described the dual approach of education and enforcement as necessary to shield adolescents from radical influences. As Governing Mayor, Wegner oversees education policy in the city-state, giving his proposal significant weight. The call for state-controlled Islamic instruction adds to a broader discussion in Germany about the role of public institutions in countering Islamist radicalization.
