The German-Islam Conference opened in Berlin's historic building of the Deutsches Historisches Museum, but two of the four major groups that represent the country's Muslims refused to attend.

The conference brings together politicians and representatives of the Muslim community to discuss integration. There are an estimated 3.8 million to 4.2 million Muslims living in Germany, the majority of whom have Turkish roots. About half of them are German citizens.

The Conference includes 17 state representatives and 17 individuals and groups from the Muslim community. But only two of the country's four largest Muslim umbrella groups were to be at the table, the Turkish Islamic Union, Ditib, and the Union of Islamic Cultural Centers.

Axel Ayyub Koehler chairman of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany (ZMD), which represents an alliance of Sunni mosques throughout Germany, said last week that the ZDM would boycot the meeting, because there are no talks to include any discussions about "Islamophobia" and discrimination against Muslims.

The German Interior Ministry Thomas de Maiziere has said that the conference would focus on gender equality, preventing the rise of extremism, and the introduction of Islamic religion classes in schools.

German students in public schools can choose to take courses in Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish or, as part of an ongoing pilot program, Muslim studies.

In March, de Maiziere said he would exclude another organization, the Islam Council, from the talks, because its leaders are under investigation for tax fraud and misuse of funds.

The Islam Council is also accused of supporting a fundamentalist brand of Islam.

The conference was founded in 2006 by then-Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble as a way to promote dialogue about integration. But its critics say it has failed to produce any concrete policy changes or clear directions for Muslims to follow regarding integration.

Agencies