The German Christmas stamp offers a historic first with a Muslim artist

For the first time in more than 50 years, Germany’s Christmas stamp features the work of a Muslim artist. Mahbuba Maqsoodi, 67, breaks a double glass ceiling: she is the first woman and first living designer to have the honor of decorating this little piece of paper since 1969.

In her Munich workshop, this Afghan artist shows us the stained glass window from Tholey Abbey which inspired the stamp. “ I define myself as Muslim and humanist”she confides, emphasizing: “ My art is aimed at everyone, beyond belief. This Christmas stained glass window represents a celestial light of which everyone can make their own interpretation. This is the beauty of art.”

His personal story is just as luminous as his creations. A professor in Herat, she fled Afghanistan in 1979, after the assassination of her sister by Islamists. From Leningrad to Munich, where she obtained asylum in 1994, she traces her route with brushes and colored glass.

Deutsche Post is planning a million-dollar run for this stamp like no other. “ It’s a great recognition”smiles this artist who has signed stained glass windows as far away as the United States, “ but above all a message of hope for refugee artists.”

This bold choice by Deutsche Post reflects a changing Germany, where cultural and religious boundaries are blurring in favor of art. Maqsoodi’s journey, from the Hindu Kush to Bavarian churches, perfectly illustrates how art can transcend differences and create bridges between cultures.