Government & Politics

New SDP MP under scrutiny over contentious Facebook posts The MP’s employer, Martti Ahtisaari’s Crisis Management Initiative, says it stands behind Hussein al-Taee.

(Yle) Fledgling politician Hussein al-Taee, who was recently elected to parliament on a Social Democratic Party ticket, has come under intense scrutiny over old Facebook posts about the situation in the Middle East. Among other things, the new MP from Vantaa appeared […]

News: Europe

How a German mining town became a recruiting ground for IS The western town of Dinslaken became known as a Salafi hotbed in 2013 when a group of local youths traveled to Syria to join the 'Islamic State.' Years on, the community is still trying to leave the past behind.

(Deutsche Welle) A deep-seated mistrust is noticeable, even from inside the car, as we drive slowly through the streets of Dinslaken-Lohberg. Due to bad weather, only a few people are outside, following us with their glances. “That’s normal in Lohberg,” social worker […]

Law Enforcement

Moroccan-Spanish counterterrorism services arrest suspect in Morocco The individual was allegedly planning a terror attack in Seville, Spain, over Easter.

(Morocco World News) Moroccan security services, in cooperation with Spanish and Moroccan intelligence services, have arrested a Moroccan terror suspect, who was allegedly planning a terror attack in Seville, southern Spain. The Spanish Ministry of the Interior announced on Wednesday that the […]

Government & Politics

Germany confirms Islamic Relief ties to Muslim Brotherhood Federal government aid payments to British-based charity under official scrutiny

(National-UAE) German officials have accused Islamic Relief Worldwide of “significant” connections to the underground Muslim Brotherhood, triggering concerns among politicians over the diversion of official funds to Islamists. A submission to the Bundesrat revealed that the powerful Federal Court of Audit was […]

News: Europe

Widow of prominent IS terrorist reportedly living quiet life in Germany German citizen Omaima A. went to Syria, joined the Islamic State group and married late terrorist Denis Cuspert. Now that same woman seemingly lives a quiet life in Germany, as a Lebanese reporter has uncovered.

(Deutsche Welle) When Jenan Moussa, an acclaimed war reporter for the Arab TV channel Al Aan, received the contents of a smart phone from a “trusted source,” she immediately knew she had been handed a treasure trove. The phone, she says, belonged […]

Children & Teens

IS can still launch attacks in Germany: intelligence chief The head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency has warned against underestimating the threat posed by 'Islamic State' despite the militant group's apparent defeat in Syria and northern Iraq.

(Deutsche Welle) In an interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, Thomas Haldenwang, the head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) — Germany’s domestic intelligence agency — warned against an increasing threat posed by the return of “Islamic […]

Clerics & Preachers

Jewish rabbis and Muslim imams to join Bundeswehr chaplains German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen wants the Bundeswehr's military chaplaincy to include rabbis and imams. She would like to have it done by the end of 2019. But there are still several potential issues.

(Deutsche Welle) Since he became the first rabbi to complete an internship with the German military chaplaincy in 2004, Konstantin Pal has fought to make the Bundeswehr more open to different religions. Back then he accompanied a Catholic priest who was assigned to […]

Law Enforcement

Police raids across Germany target alleged Hamas-linked charities German police have raided charities alleged to provide support to the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip. The enclave on the east Mediterranean Sea suffers from one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

(Deutsche Welle) Police carried out raids across Germany on Wednesday targeting charities suspected of providing “financial and propaganda” support to the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, the interior ministry said. Around 90 properties in ten states were searched, with the focus of the raids targeting […]