Academics & Education

Germany: Leading politicians call for a ‘European Islam’ Everyday measures are key to preserving the European way [of] life, say Germany's health minister and the premier of Schleswig-Holstein state. Jens Spahn and Daniel Günther want a faith that shares the continent's values.

(Deutsche Welle) Two senior German politicians have called for a more progressive form of Islam in order to align the religion with the European way of life. Health Minister Jens Spahn and Schleswig-Holstein State Premier Daniel Günther published the appeal Thursday in […]

Crime

German police launch raids on Iraqi organized crime gang Heavily armed police have carried out a series of coordinated raids on the homes of members of the 'Al-Salam-313' group. The targets are suspected of people smuggling as well as dealing in narcotics.

(Deutsche Welle) German police carried out early-morning raids at apartments in 11 cities on Wednesday as part of an operation targeting organized crime. Hundreds of officers were involved in the raids in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, focusing on the Cologne […]

Academics & Education

Austria: Opinion leaders condemn Muslim headscarf ban Law bans headscarves for girls under age of 10 at all primary schools across country, including private schools

(Anadolu) Opinion leaders say the ban in Austria on religious headscarves in primary schools is clearly discriminatory against Muslims and contradicts with the principles of equality and freedom of religion. The bill, which was passed in Austria’s parliament on May 15 and […]

Clothing

German ‘Shariah Police’ retrial starts in Wuppertal Seven men accused of forming a 'Shariah Police' brigade in western Germany have gone on trial. The group allegedly patrolled the streets of Wuppertal in orange vests, telling people to abstain from music and alcohol.

(Deutsche Welle) The retrial of seven alleged members of a self-proclaimed “Shariah Police” vigilante group began in the western city of Wuppertal on Monday. The men were cleared of wrongdoing in 2016, but the case is now being heard again following a […]

Books

Former far-right politician who converted to Islam says EU must be realistic about immigration Joram van Klaveren worries that the ideas he contributed to may become policies after the next EU elections

(National-UAE) With Europeans approaching the next parliamentary vote split down the middle on the benefits of immigration, few can claim to have the perspective possessed by Joram van Klaveren. As a spokesman for right-wing Geert Wilders’s anti-immigration Party for Freedom (PVV) a […]

Alcohol & Drugs

Islam on beer mats angers Muslims in Germany Using coasters in pubs to improve understanding of the teachings of Islam in Germany is not going down well with some Muslim groups. They believe the connection between alcohol and the religion is unwise.

(Deutsche Welle) The distribution of Islam-related questions on beer mats in the towns of Maintal and Offenbach near Frankfurt has been harshly criticized. The mats show questions on Islam written in the local Hesse dialect. On the back, a QR code can […]

Immigration

Germany: Trial of Berlin bomb plotter begins Magomed-Ali C. was arrested in August 2018 on suspicion of planning a bomb attack at a Berlin shopping center. He allegedly had close ties to the man who killed 11 people at a Christmas market in the capital in 2016.

(Deutsche Welle) The trial of a 31-year-old Islamist from Russia who allegedly planned a bomb attack in Berlin began on Thursday. Federal prosecutors accuse Magomed-Ali C. of planning the attack, most likely on a shopping center in the north of the capital, […]

Academics & Education

French Senate votes to ban headscarf on school trips Upper house adopts bill that prohibits mothers from wearing headscarf while accompanying students on school trips

(Anadolu) France’s upper house of the parliament on Thursday adopted a bill that prohibits mothers from wearing headscarf while accompanying the students on school trips. The bill was presented in the country’s senate by the conservative Republican party. The bill was passed […]

Clerics & Preachers

Salafist preacher Sven Lau to be released from German jail German Islamist Sven Lau will leave prison early after serving two-thirds of his sentence for supporting a terrorist organization. Lau had recruited fighters for the Jamwa militia in Syria.

(Deutsche Welle) A German court on Thursday ordered the early release from jail of one of Germany’s most renowned Salafists. Sven Lau had been serving a sentence of 5 1/2 years for aiding terrorism. Lau was convicted in July 2017 of supporting Jamwa, an Islamist […]

Employment

Merkel marks German constitution anniversary by celebrating diversity Angela Merkel celebrated 70 years since the signing of the German Basic Law with a speech before young immigrants taking part in an integration program. She said Germany had learned it was a country of immigration.

(Deutsche Welle) Chancellor Angela Merkel joined dozens of young people of immigrant background in Berlin on Tuesday to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Germany’s Basic Law, or constitution. The event was hosted by Deutschlandstiftung Integration (DSI), a foundation that in 2012 founded […]

Government & Politics

German intelligence agency warns of ‘Islamic State’ attacks From a military point of view, the 'Islamic State' has been defeated in the Middle East. However, the group remains a dangerous terrorist organization in the West, warns Germany's domestic intelligence agency.

(Deutsche Welle) It was the first time Thomas Haldenwang, president of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, or BfV, had hosted his agency’s traditional symposium. The event on Monday in Berlin was entitled “Mobilization Capability in Political Extremism” — […]