When Faith is More Important than School

But teachers and experts say such court rulings run the risk of subverting German school law, which clearly states that sports and swimming is mandatory for all children. In addition, making exceptions for Muslim students amounts to giving preferential treatment to one religion and could lead to their isolation, said Turgut Hüner.

The chairman of the Turkish Parents Organization in Berlin-Brandenburg believes the trend among Muslim parents to exempt their children from class has been fueled by the introduction of Islamic religious classes in German schools.

What is being taught in mosques and the Koranic schools they sponsor?

While learning their own language and religion is vital to second-generation Muslims living in the country, Hüner warned that it’s important to know just what is being taught under the guise of religious instruction.

He criticized Berlin school authorities for allowing organizations such as the strongly-conservative Islamic Federation, which is on German law enforcement's watch list, to impart Islamic instruction in 28 schools in the German capital.

“It’s a slippery slope," said Hüner. "That’s when some parents get old-fashioned ideas into their hands and decide not to send their daughters to biology or swimming class."

Living in a Muslim virtual world

Indeed, the Islamic Federation ran into trouble recently with the Berlin education ministry for allegedly handing out application forms printed from the Internet to Muslim parents to get their daughters exempted from co-educative classes.

A look at the virtual world shows just how easy that is. A Web site called Muslim-Markt.de run by two Muslim brothers offers Muslims links and information to Muslim doctors, lawyers, hairdressers, companies and so on.

The site "Muslimrecht," based in Hamburg, offers detailed moral and legal guidelines to Muslim parents wanting to free their daughters from co-ed sports and swimming lessons. “If you don’t stand up for your rights, it won’t just become a disadvantage to you, but will also lead to a restriction of rights for the coming generation of students,” it warns its readers.

Headscarf equals "problem child"?

The debate is simmering

While the debate simmers, some experts say it also reflects German teachers’ poor understanding of the delicate integration process underway.

“Many have no idea how difficult it can be for a Muslim girl caught between her traditional parents and a more permissive western society where she’s growing up,” said Spielhaus.

Yilmaz knows that only too well.

“As a Muslim girl with a headscarf you’re immediately labeled ‘dumb’," she said. "I have to work extra hard at school to earn the recognition of my teachers so that they don’t think I’m a problem child."