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The article profiles an atheist German family and a Muslim family living in the Muslim ghetto in Marxloh, Germany. The two families became unlikely friends as well as a force for change in Marxloh when they formed a citizens group that sparked a major urban renewal project. They contributed to building a new mosque that will be the largest in Germany, and sued a national television station for a biased report on Marxloh. Instead of taking the path of alienation and extremism, the Muslim family is now well-known in Marxloh. The article refers to a tentative change among Muslims living in the ethnically divided communities of Europe. There are signs that some people are breaking out of the parallel societies that currently exist. Government policies in Germany encourage grassroots civic improvement projects.

Presents the second in a series focusing on the social conditions and activities of Muslims living in Europe. History of the Islamic Center of Munich, a mosque built by Muslims, who deserted the Soviet Union's Red Army to fight for the Nazis in World War II; Competition for the Muslim community among Western governments looking for political alliances; Discussion of the Muslim Brotherhood, a social reform movement, which calls for the Muslim religion to dominate all aspects of life; History of miscalculations on the part of Western governments in their relationships with political Islam; How United States' involvement in Afghanistan in the 1980s helped produced Osama bin Laden; Research findings indicating U.S. intelligence agencies attempted to form a working relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood; Comments from Munich, Germany-based historian Stefan Meining regarding the genesis of political Islam in the post-WWII atmosphere; Discussion of the Brotherhood's beliefs with regard to Muslims and Western influences. INSETS: A Piece of History;Birth of an Ideology;Cast of Characters.

The article discusses the effect of the terrorist attacks in Paris, France on government and politics in Germany with details on the cultural and political attitudes regarding the presence of Islam and Muslims in Germany.