• Germany edition
Society
Photo: DPA

Ministry caught in Muslim study leak lie

Published: 20 Apr 12 11:44 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20120420-42075.html

Germany’s Interior Minister was forced to admit on Friday that his ministry had leaked a controversial study on young Muslims in the country to populist Bild newspaper – despite initial denials.

Hans-Peter Friedrich and the tabloid newspaper both presented the study as showing that young Muslims were not integrating into German society – infuriating the authors who said their presentation was a gross distortion of what they actually said.

The study, released at the end of February, was led by Wolfgang Frindte of the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, who spoke of his team's "despair" at the way the complex 760-page study was spun by the government and Bild.

Islam scholar Armina Omerika on Wednesday resigned from the Islam conference currently taking place in Berlin over host Friedrich's handling of the study.

Friday's revelation, in a Süddeutsche Zeitung report, suggests there was some collusion between the ministry and the paper over the timing of the study's release.

Bild reported on the study on February 29, a day before the Interior Ministry posted it on its website. There was immediate suspicion that it had been leaked, but Friedrich told state broadcaster ZDF at the time, "This study was not given out from my ministry."

State secretary Christoph Bergner repeated this claim to the German parliament later.

But following an official information request from the socialist Left party, the ministry has now admitted that its press office did give Bild an advance copy, in preparation for an interview with Friedrich.

The Left party's Sevim Dagdelen, who made the official request, condemned Friedrich, of the Christian Social Union, as a "Minister of Lies," and called on him to apologize to the study's authors and give an explanation to parliament.

The Local/bk

What do you think? Leave your comment below.


Your comments about this article:

17:14 April 20, 2012 by erkan
Comment removed by The Local for breach of our terms.
17:55 April 20, 2012 by ChrisRea
Or maybe the problem is that we have to many racists, and Mr. Friedrich seems to be one. How is that saying? Ah, yes: Racists, go home! :D
17:59 April 20, 2012 by Dono
Comment removed by The Local for breach of our terms.
18:31 April 20, 2012 by Jeff10
Comment removed by The Local for breach of our terms.
19:52 April 20, 2012 by johnny108
So they leaked a study that states something that almost everyone in the country already knows- who cares?
20:03 April 20, 2012 by Englishted
@johnny108

Me.
21:47 April 20, 2012 by ChuChu
OH for heaven's sake...GET A LIFE !!!!!....all this pussy footing around the Muslim question..... they don't integrate..period...that's it...now go away!!!!!
10:30 April 21, 2012 by smart2012
They will never integrate as they are treated as second class in Germany.
14:55 April 21, 2012 by UltraDeb
This older generation of ultra conservative white German men in power cannot become extinct fast enough. These studies are always based on a minority of troublemakers within a population and then sold to the populace as an empirical generalization. "Assimilation" means that you respect and abide by the standards of acceptable social behavior within a society, which the vast majority of Muslims in Germany do. One can still embrace his/her native culture, traditions, beliefs and religion without violating the behavioral standards of the non-native country. If they're concerned about that minority of immigrants who behave in an anti-social manner, then let's deal with ALL the anti-social elements of German society, starting with the drunkards and junkies down at the Hauptbahnhof, most of whom, by the way, are white German.
16:45 April 21, 2012 by ChrisRea
@ johnny108

Leaking it to Bild is only one of the unethical things the minister/ministry did in relation to the study. More important is lying about it in the first instance (they admitted it only following the parliamentary inquiry). But the biggest wrongdoing is presenting false results of the study (for example, the minister said that it shows a tendency towards terrorism - in reality, the study points out that the almost all Muslims interviewed oppose terrorism and believe that terrorists are not following the teachings of Koran).
ADD YOUR COMMENT   (YOU MUST LOG IN OR REGISTER TO MAKE A COMMENT)
Today's headlines
Photo: DPA

Cooler and wetter week ahead

Rain in the west, sunshine in the east - Germany's weather was divided on Monday, as the German Weather Service (DWD) warned of an unsettled week ahead. READ () »

Photo: DPA

20,000 Goths gather in Leipzig

More than 20,000 Goths from all over the world gathered in Leipzig in eastern Germany over the Whitsun weekend to celebrate all things dark and Gothic. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Germany grapples with nuclear energy phaseout

Germany's energy transition project - in which nuclear power will be phased out and replaced with energy from renewable sources - is facing the challenges of cheap coal, unresolved energy storage and an out-of-date electricity grid. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Fans flock to London for all-German CL final

With two Bundesliga clubs in the Champions League final, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund supporters are rushing to London for this weekend's Wembley showdown. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Hungary's Orban: Merkel policy like Nazi invasion

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbàn deepened diplomatic tensions with Germany after comparing the policies of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the Nazi military invasion of his country ordered by Adolf Hitler. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Pricey Reichstag visitor centre scrapped

Visitors to Berlin's iconic Reichstag parliament building will continue to face long queues before they can enter through a temporary container, after politicians scrapped plans for an expensive underground visitor centre. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Police warn against high-tech Islamist attacks

The Federal Criminal Police Office is warning of a new type of Islamist terrorist threat from the air that could attack both passenger and cargo planes as well as airport facilities, the Welt am Sonntag newspaper reported. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Some fear inflation if small euro coins cut

European Union proposals to eliminate one and two cent euro coins is annoying some Germans, including a few at the Bundesbank, while others think an EU idea to introduce one and two-euro notes is a good one. READ () »

More Society
RECEIVE OUR NEWSLETTER AND ALERTS
Highlights
Photo: DPA
SOCIETY »
Harmless pink fun or a bad influence on young girls? A life-size Barbie dream house attraction opened in Berlin to protests including a topless woman burning a doll in effigy.
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
At his final heartbeat I knew I had to act. Our German of the Week is Tina K., who, after her brother was beaten to death, has been campaigning for an end to street violence in Berlin.
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
The Local List: Ten German words with double meanings
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
The Local's English-language movie listings for Germany
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
Conflict is part of the fabric of Berlin, but the city's "Peacemaker" soothes things over. Jessica Ware tracked him down for a chat.
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
It might be politically toxic, but it's time to hit the brakes on Germany's reckless driving culture, argues The Local's Ben Knight.
Photo: M&S
SPONSORED ARTICLE
Move over Berlin: why London is Germany's new fashion capital
Photo: Private
OPINION »
For this edition of My German Career, former US military man turned armed guard Keith Alban talks about leaving home in search of a better quality of life.
Photo: Katie Needs
SOCIETY »
Offseason, Germany's largest island Rügen might not top many peoples' list of dream holidays. But as The Local discovered, its quiet beauty makes it worth a trip to escape city bustle.
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
Confused about the hundreds of euros missing from your pay packet? Don't panic - the latest in The Local's JobTalk series looks at German social security payments.
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
Is that your Handy ringing? This week's Local List takes a look at 12 misused English words in German.
Photo: A Peoples' Picture
LIFESTYLE »
An American is stirring up creative spontaneity in Dresden by leaving disposable cameras around for strangers' use, before collecting them and displaying the results online.
Photo: Private
LIFESTYLE »
After it was revealed that Angela Merkel had a Polish grandfather, Matthew Luxmoore set out to find where she could connect to her roots in Berlin's sizable Polish community.
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
Why isn't everyone wearing Lederhosen? It's easy for foreigners to stereotype Germany, but this week's Local List is dedicated to debunking common myths.
Photo: Private
OPINION »
The last time Si Liberman saw Berlin, he was thousands of feet in the air on a US bombing raid over Nazi Germany. Nearly seven decades later, he returned to the city.
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
What are the hidden rules of etiquette foreigners need to watch out for while doing business in Germany? The Local's JobTalk series has tips for keeping on the right side of your colleagues.
Photo: DPA
NATIONAL »
All of The Local's 'Germans of the Week' so far
Photo: DPA
NATIONAL »
Every town and city from The Local's My Germany series
Furniture Leasing Corporation
SPONSORED ARTICLE
The furniture-free way to relocate to Germany
Photo: Henrik Trygg/imagebank.sweden.se
SPONSORED ARTICLE
Top five reasons to enrol on an Executive MBA



Latest news from The Local in France

More news from France at thelocal.fr

Latest news from The Local in Norway

More news from Norway at thelocal.no

Latest news from The Local in Sweden

More news from Sweden at thelocal.se

Latest news from The Local in Switzerland

More news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch

See all ads | Join the Marketplace

Jobs in Germany, in English

787 jobs available
595 new jobs this week
102 new jobs today

ALL JOBS »

Blog
Essentials

Dating
Looking for your own blonde bombshell? Or is the strong, silent type more your style? Find a German sweetheart here.

Weather
"After clouds comes clear weather," say the Germans. But what about after that? Find out in The Local's weather section.

Blog
German stuff that's distracting us today.

Noticeboard
Whether you want to buy, sell, hire, announce or promote something, here's the place to do it - completely free of charge.

Discuss
Debate the news, ask for advice, make friends - or just let off steam.

Search News


Register

Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss

REGISTER FOR FREE »

News from the Goethe-Institut
News from Young Germany
  • German first feature film in Cannes
    A directorial debut from Germany makes it to the competition “Un Certain Regard” at the famous film festival on the Côte d’Azur.
  • Traveling Germany: Europa-Park
    Think theme parks:Roller coasters, colorful rides, entertainment, thrills. Think Germany: Europa-Park is the largest amusement park in the country, second in Europe only to Disneyland Paris.
  • Frankfurt – the digital hub
    The Internet hub in Frankfurt am Main is the largest in the world and places Germany in a leading position in the digital world.
  • The European Year of Citizens
    2013 is the European Year of Citizens. They‘re invited to contribute their ideas for the EU, and to discover more about their rights as EU citizens. An example: labour mobility.
  • Neuschwanstein Castle: In Photos
    Neuschwanstein is the most popular tourist attraction in Germany. And for good reason. King Ludwig II's castle looks like it fell out of a book of fairy tales.
News from DeutschlandOnline

Toytown Germany
Germany's English-speaking crowd
Trade CFDs with InterTrader.com
Start trading shares, equities, forex, etc. No commission on equities; Low min. margins. Apply for a CFDs account now!
Little house in Spain
'Charming, old, beamed cottage for holiday let in Jesus Pobre, Alicante, Spain
www.littlehouseinspain.com/
Albatross Insurance
Professional and qualified consultancy on all insurance and finance matters in Germany, Telephone: +49 2163 571 1740, Email: bg@albatross-assurance.com
www.albatross-assurance.com
Hotel reservations in Berlin
Visiting Berlin anytime soon? Book your hotel in Berlin here.
Rental apartments in Berlin
For home-from-home holiday accommodation, search for a Berlin apartment to rent.