"Participating-becoming a part!": this is the slogan of the 2007 Intercultural Week, taking place in Germany from 23rd to 26th September. 3000 events in about 200 cities and communities. The week devoted to foreign citizens was opened in Frankfurt on 21st September with an ecumenical ceremony, attended by card. Karl Lehmann, president of the Bishops Conference, the evangelical bishop Christoph Kähler, deputy president of the Council of the Evengalical Church, and the Greek-Orthodox Metropolitan Bishop of Germany, Augoustinos. "We aim at making all those who live here participate with full rights, so that they can help shape this society”, stated Andreas Lipsch, deputy president of the Week’s organising committee. "Same rights, same opportunities: this is the key to social inclusion”. Special attention was paid, this year, to the Muslims of Germany. "Islam is a religion, and we cannot just demand Muslims to fit in: we must give them a chance to. The building of mosques is not only their right", he added. The schedule includes events with Christians and Muslims together. "This is a response from society to the spreading of xenophobia and islamophobia", concluded Lipsch.
