Frankfurt lights up for Ramadan—but schools spark controversy over water bans

A city celebrates diversity with glowing crescents and lanterns—yet a classroom policy leaves parents questioning where tradition ends and child welfare begins. Who draws the line?

, and Administrator

2026 April 26 . 2:08 AM

1 min read

The image shows a large crowd of people standing in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin,... — The image shows a large crowd of people standing in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany. Many of them are wearing caps and holding banners with text, while others are holding balloons. There are light poles and traffic signals with poles in the background, as well as buildings with windows and pillars. The sky is visible in the distance.

Frankfurt lights up for Ramadan—but schools spark controversy over water bans

This controversial practice first began in 2024, when Frankfurt became the first German city to install such lighting. For the third time, crescents, stars, and Fanoos lanterns alongside "Happy Ramadan" signs hang in the center, thanks to a resolution from the Greens, SPD, FDP, and Volt.

The project carries a significant price tag for taxpayers, with €75,000 spent on bulbs and a total budget reaching €100,000. Green Mayor Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg defended the move, stating the lighting makes Muslim life a "self-evident part" of Frankfurt.

However, this state-sponsored promotion of Islam has moved beyond public squares and into the classrooms, with alarming incidents also surfacing in 2024. In the Frankfurt metropolitan area, reports emerged of primary school teachers unilaterally imposing Islamic practices on pre-teen students. During the holy month of Ramadan that year, a pair of teachers reportedly prohibited fifth-grade students from drinking water in class out of consideration for a few fasting Muslim pupils.