18,000 Germans Converted to Islam

Some 18,000 German nationals have become Muslims since 1945, the daily Cologne-based Koelnische Rundschau newspaper quoted the Islam-Archive Central Institute, based in the western town of Soest. Around 4,000 Germans converted to Islam last year, the German Islamic think-tank said.

Some 80 percent of those who converted were Christians.

The major share of converts, around 60 percent, are women.

The head of the Islam-Archive Central Institute, Salim Abdullah was quoted as saying earlier that most of those who converted to Islam, have been well-educated.

According to a Berlin-based Muslim leader Mohammad Herzog, there are various motives for the sharp rise in the number of converts, saying many have been former devout Christians who had cast doubts about their faith.

Meanwhile a sociologist, Monika Wohlrab-Sahr, pointed out many potential converts view Islam “a very genuine alternative”.

Interestingly enough, whenever the German media steps up its attack on Islam, more people convert to Islam than in normal years, Abdullah said.

There are 3.5 million Muslims, most of them Turks, living in Germany.