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Born in 1963 in Rabat, Mohammed Assila did not imagine that his thirst for education and Islam will one day lead him to Germany. After studying in the capital and graduating college in 1986, Assila visited Germany for the first time to take part in a cultural and educational mission organized by the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs.
He then worked as a consular official in Düsseldorf, where he came in contact with Moroccans living in Germany. Once there, Mohammed Assila took note of the issues of Moroccans in the country. Three years later, he visited Germany for the second time in 1989, to work as a teacher sent by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the Hassan II Foundation. «I was also in touch with the German administration as learning German opened doors for me to address the educational system in the country», he told Yabiladi.
Habous and Islamic Affairs and German education
Learning more about the German educational system, Mohammed Assila realized that they were «a lot of stereotypes about Moroccans and Islam». He, therefore, chose to «work in the social field by working with five German schools».
«I took advantage of educational meetings organized to shed light on the Moroccan model, in terms of teaching the Arabic language and Moroccan culture and addressing issues related to Islam», he recalled.
His work was fruitful and he started receiving invitations to host round tables and workshops, especially in schools and federal institutions. During these meetings he discussed the relationship between Christians and Muslims in Germany.
In 1991, his career took a different turn. The German authorities hired him as an expert for the German Ministry of Education and a member of the the commission that made curriculum. «The commission was tasked with suggesting programs and solutions for teaching more than 21 languages», he said.
«This experience allowed me to work in the commission for teaching Islam and gave me the opportunity to create a program for teaching Islam in German».
Thanks to an association Mohammed Assila created alongside other Moroccan nationals, he was elected as president of the Foreign Nationals Advisory Council in Erkrath, representing thousands of foreigners living in the city. He then was contacted by the Central Council of Muslims in Germany. «They wanted me to work with them to boost the inter-religious dialogue and operate as a counselor in education and the teaching of Islam», he told Yabiladi.
Moroccan youth in Germany
Today, this Moroccan expert in education and the teaching of Islam in Germany says that «the European country is aware of the fact that positive integration that takes the other into consideration can only be done through the recognition of Islam». However, he believes that «Moroccans often find that they are not represented in certain Islamic institutions».
«This country is aware of the need for the recognition of Muslims in general and the spiritual and social well-being of this community, like the Jewish and Christian communities. But the Muslim community needs representatives to lead this debate».
Assila insists on the role of young people in this debate. «As Moroccans and Muslims, we must think about training future generations». «We must ensure that young people can benefit from spiritual and social well-being and the strong connection with the country of origin. We must accompany these young people and make them face the great challenges of the community», says Mohammed Assila.
