Free Republic

In many Western cities, plans to erect mosques often stir more passion than any other local issue—and politicians are leaping into the fray. NOT since Cologne was rebuilt half a century ago, out of the rubble of war, has a change in the urban landscape generated so much heat. A city whose main landmark is a medieval cathedral may soon share its skyline with another place of worship: a large mosque with minarets more than 50 metres (165 feet) high. While the city's (mainly Turkish) Muslim population of over 120,000 is looking forward to the new building—a sign, perhaps, that...

Are the Saudis funding schools devoted to fomenting radical Islamic ideology? Dec. 3 — An intense behind-the-scenes diplomatic struggle over a controversial Saudi-funded academy in Germany has shed new light on the close relationship between Saudi government officials and an international network of mosques and schools—some of which, Western intelligence officials say, have become breeding grounds for terrorism. THE GERMAN SCHOOL, the King Fahd Academy in Bonn, provoked an uproar two months ago when German television reporters infiltrated its classrooms and videotaped a teacher inciting a holy war “in the name of Allah” and advocating martial-arts training—including the use of...