Books

Germany: SPD formally expels former Berlin senator Thilo Sarrazin An arbitration committee upheld the Social Democrats' decision to expel Sarrazin over Islamophobic rhetoric. The ruling marked the party's third attempt to oust him after almost a decade fighting in court.

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) have finally managed to expel controversial politician turned author Thilo Sarrazin, who has published a series of books over the last decade bearing little resemblance to the party’s stated positions. Sarrazin’s books criticizing the lack of […]

Crime

Germany: Freiburg gang rapists to spend years in prison Ten of 11 men accused in the gang rape of a woman in the southern city of Freiburg in 2018 have been sentenced to jail terms. The case was seized upon by anti-immigration populists, as most of the men are refugees.

(Deutsche Welle) A German regional court on Thursday handed jail sentences of up to five and a half years to members of a group of men accused of jointly raping an 18-year-old woman in the southern city of Freiburg in October 2018. […]

Arts & Entertainment

Germany: Backlash after Düsseldorf enlists rapper Farid Bang for coronavirus video The German city of Düsseldorf has come under fire for collaborating with controversial rapper Farid Bang to produce a coronavirus social distancing appeal video. The artist has been accused of anti-Semitism in the past.

(Deutsche Welle) The anti-Semitism commissioner from Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, has sharply criticized a video featuring controversial German rapper Farid Bang which calls on people to observe COVID-19 social distancing regulations. The short video was produced in collaboration with the […]

Academics & Education

German state bans burqas, niqabs in schools Baden-Württemberg will now ban full-face coverings for all school children. State Premier Winfried Kretschmann said burqas and niqabs did not belong in a free society. A similar rule for teachers was already in place.

(Deutsche Welle) The government of the western German state of Baden-Württemberg agreed on Tuesday to ban full-face coverings, often known as burqa or niqab, in schools. The new rule comes as the topic of Muslim face coverings has been hotly debated in […]

Government & Politics

New French PM says battle against ‘radical Islamism’ a priority Castex said a law to combat 'separatism' will be introduced after summer, but critics say Muslims will be targeted.

(Al-Jazeera) France’s newly-appointed prime minister, Jean Castex, has vowed to be “intransigent” in defending France’s official secularism, promising to fight “radical Islamism in all its forms” as “an absolute priority.” Unveiling new government policy in Paris on Wednesday, Castex told the National […]

Law Enforcement

Police in Germany conduct raids on suspected Islamists in Berlin Berlin police are investigating 12 suspects who are accused of financing terrorism, among other crimes. Investigators have carried out a total of 20 search warrants.

(Deutsche Welle) Investigators from Berlin’s Office of Criminal Investigation (LKA) are executing 20 search warrants against 12 suspects from the Islamist scene, Berlin’s public prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday. A total of 450 officers and police officials were deployed in the operation, […]