The following content has been provided by the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg.

The theme of public theology and inter-religious dialogue is a crucial theme for church and society as a whole.

It might not be too audacious to say it is one of the most important themes of the coming years.

The challenge of migration and the arrival of a great number of refugees here in Germany last year

have made the question of integration and of inter-religious dialogue into one of the most urging issues of public theology in this country.

Five developments can show best what implications that challenge has.

First, refugee numbers.

In the year 2015, almost one million refugees were registered entering Germany.

They fled of continuing hostilities in large areas of their country

and because of the completely inadequate conditions in the refugee centers in neighboring countries.

Some of them, especially from African countries, also fled from living conditions,

which made a life in dignity in their home countries impossible and took away all hope for the future.

Besides from Syria, people came from Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, and African countries such as Eritrea and Nigeria.

If one had asked anyone in Germany a year ago whether our country would be able to receive such a great number of refugees in one year,

everyone would have shaken their head.

But we did manage.

We have experienced a revolution of empathy in our country since the summer of last year based on the commitment of thousands,

of hundreds of thousands of volunteers in Christian parishes throughout Germany and many more in other organizations.

Meanwhile, the situation has become much more tense.

Even though the readiness to help in receiving and accompanying refugees remains very high among Germans.

Right-wing populists have gained support in the polls going far beyond the 10% margin.

Some right-wing radicals even do not shy away from using violence.

There have been assaults on refugees, politicians, and journalists. Refugee accommodations have been the object of arson.

While such criminal action is widely condemned in the population,

there are fears which are misused by some to instigate prejudice or even hate against Islam.

Most of the refugees are Muslims.

Fear of Islam has increased through terrorist attacks with Islamistic background, which have meanwhile reached Germany.

Second point, therefore, Islamic fundamentalism.

Islamic fundamentalism and its violent expressions is probably the biggest obstacle to a public climate of constructive inter-religious dialogue in Germany.

To understand this, one must only imagine how we would ourselves react if we knew about Islam, primarily or even only from reports in television.

To be sure, we have excellent reports and features on Muslims and their religion in some programs.

But those who could maybe profit most from it don't watch it.

What they see in the news are fanatic masses in Arab countries shouting Allahu Akbar and not generating trust in nonviolent coexistence and peaceful mutual dialogue.

And they see young men in military uniform on military trucks who call themselves Islamic State militia and show victory signs.

And whoever looks in the internet can find photos or videos of these militia people beheading others just because they are Christian, Yezidi or Muslim of different faith.

If this was my main or even only source of information on Islam, I would be afraid of this religion too.

Islamic fundamentalism, especially in its violent form of expression and its ongoing public presence,

is backwind for those in society and even more in other societies in Europe who have no interest in inter-religious dialogue

and want to block it wherever they can to promote their nationalistic and sometimes also racist ideologies.

They profit from an atmosphere of fear which makes a sober and constructive dialogue difficult.

It is important to say that such fear is most widespread in regions with a minimal Muslim population.

Apparently it is generated by images and prejudices rather than real experience of people.

The third point, the discussion on mobbing of Christians in refugee shelters.

There is a third issue which presently burdens inter-religious discussions in Germany.

There have been continuing reports about mobbing of Christian refugees by Muslim refugees in the shelters.

These reports speak of fear by Christians to wear crosses around their necks or to openly show that they are going to church.

They also talk about threats to Muslims who have decided to be baptized.

So far it has been very difficult to verify these reports.

If these things happen, they are hard to prove afterwards.

Our own research as churches has resulted in the acknowledgement of the existence of such cases.