Challenges for Muslim Integration in Germany

With the recent arrest of three suspected al Qaeda members in Germany just days before the death of Osama bin Laden, it is important to address Muslim integration into German society as a deterrent to radicalization. Ambassador Kreft will discuss the challenges of Muslim integration in a changing landscape and elaborate on how an intercultural dialogue can be initiated and sustained.

Prior to his current role in the Federal Foreign Office, Ambassador Kreft served as Senior Foreign Policy and Security Advisor to the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag from 2006-2010. As a diplomat, he has been stationed in such locations as Tokyo (from 1991 to 1994) and Washington, DC (from 2001 to 2004). Before this, he served as a member of the Foreign Policy Planning Staff in charge of the Americas, Asia and Economic Issues, and as a visiting fellow at The Henry L Stimson Center, the Heritage Foundation, and the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC.