Muslims contribute to German society, church gathering told

Dresden, Germany, June 3 (ENInews)--Islam is part of a modern, changing
Germany and necessary to develop a vibrant society, President Christian Wulff
said in a panel discussion on 2 June at the ecumenical gathering called
the Kirchentag. 

Christians should also be more tolerant towards other religions, Wulff
said. "If one is not open to other religions, one cannot expect Muslim
societies to be receptive to freedom of religion." He then went on to appeal to
Turkey to do more for religious freedom.

The German president was participating in the Kirchentag, Germany's
biennial church gathering, which takes place from 1 to 5 June. He took part in a
discussion titled "How much integration does a democracy need?" It
addressed the difficult issue of Muslim integration in German society. Other
participants on the podium were second- and third-generation Germans from migrant
families.