Children & Teens

German court jails IS bride for crimes against humanity A Bavarian court has handed a 10-year prison sentence to a German woman who allowed a 5-year-old Yazidi 'slave' girl to die of thirst.

(Deutsche Welle) The Munich Higher Regional Court has imprisoned a German woman for 10 years after hearing she stood idly by as a 5-year-old Yazidi “slave” girl was left to die of thirst in the sun. Monday’s conviction of the 30-year-old Jennifer […]

Government & Politics

Germany: Cologne’s mosques to play call to prayer on Fridays Cologne's mayor said allowing the muezzin call to be heard was a 'sign of respect.' Under a new agreement, the city's mosques will be able to broadcast their call to prayer for two years, subject to renewal.

(Deutsche Welle) The Central Mosque of Cologne will be permitted to broadcast its call to prayer over loudspeakers on Friday afternoons, officials said on Monday. All 35 mosques in the western German city will now be able to play the call for up to five […]

Government & Politics

Germany’s Cologne to allow public Muslim call to prayer in two-year pilot scheme Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker said that the decision came in response to requests, calling it 'a sign of mutual acceptance of religion.'

(New Arab) Municipal authorities in the western German city of Cologne have announced that the Muslim call to prayer will be allowed to be recited on loudspeakers on Fridays, when Muslims hold weekly congregational prayers. The public call to prayer, known in Arabic […]

Clerics & Preachers

Germany investigates man on suspicion of spying for Turkey Police have arrested a Turkish man in Düsseldorf possessing weapons and a list of supporters of the Gulen movement, which the Turkish government has labeled 'terrorists.'

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s federal prosecutor general announced Friday that the investigation resulting from a raid on a Düsseldorf hotel that saw the arrest of a Turkish man identified as Ali D. was being treated as a case of suspected espionage on behalf of the […]

Demonstrations

Muslim journalist suspended from hosting German TV show over allegations of anti-Semitism Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said WDR bears 'a great responsibility not to present anyone on the screen who could spread hatred of Israel.'

(JNS) A Muslim journalist was axed from her pending position as a TV host for a German science program after allegations came forward about her past anti-Semitic activity, including participation in the pro-Iran, anti-Israel Al-Quds march in Berlin in 2014. As reported […]

Children & Teens

Germany: Judge orders Hagen synagogue suspect to be remanded in custody Prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for the suspect detained on Thursday for his alleged role in planning an attack during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.

(Deutsche Welle) A 16-year-old accused of planning an “Islamist-motivated” attack on a synagogue in the western German city of Hagen was remanded in custody on Friday, the Düsseldorf prosecutors office said. The young Syrian national who lives in Hagen was detained Thursday. […]

Children & Teens

German police foil ‘Islamist’ attack on a synagogue Police have released three people arrested over a possible attack on a synagogue in the western city of Hagen ahead of a major Jewish holiday. Authorities believe the threat was motivated by 'Islamist ideology.'

(Deutsche Welle) German police arrested four people Thursday, including a teenager, over a threat of an attack on a synagogue on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. Hagen police said they made the arrests as a result of their investigation into the threat and […]

Law Enforcement

9/11: 20 years on, Germany still grapples with militant Islamists On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the Taliban flag is flying over Kabul again. A German police expert fears that Afghanistan could once again become a gathering place for jihadis — including from Germany.

(Deutsche Welle) Sven Kurenbach still remembers the images of the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsing and the spontaneous minute of silence at the Berlin police department that followed. When Islamist terrorists weaponized passenger planes on September 11, 2001 — killing […]

Law Enforcement

Germany arrests suspected ‘Islamic State’ fundraiser A woman has been detained in southern Germany on suspicion of aiding the terror group 'Islamic State.' Prosecutors believe she may have helped organize money transfers to militants in the Middle East.

(Deutsche Welle) German federal prosecutors arrested a woman on Monday suspected of collecting money for the extremist “Islamic State” (IS) group and helping with bank transfers to the Middle East. The suspect, identified only as Denise S., is thought to have been in contact with […]

Government & Politics

Migration fears complicate Europe’s response to Afghanistan crisis As the Taliban took control of the country, there were chaotic scenes at Kabul airport as hundreds tried to flee.

(Politico) For Afghans desperate to flee the Taliban takeover of their country, Europe had — at best — mixed messages to offer. As the evacuation from Kabul airport grew increasingly chaotic Monday, with footage emerging of Afghans attempting to cling to a departing […]

Government & Politics

Berlin Christmas market attack made possible by ‘serious’ errors, report finds Bureaucratic failures and critical misjudgment of the attacker's behavior made the 2016 terrorist attack possible, a Berlin parliament committee report concluded.

(Deutsche Welle) A special committee of the Berlin state parliament released its comprehensive report into the December 2016 Christmas market terror attack on Monday. The attack at the Breitscheidplatz market was the most serious act of Islamist terrorism in Germany to date. The attacker, Anis […]

Legal

German court sentences IS widow over Yazidi slaves A court in Hamburg has sentenced the widow of an 'Islamic State' terrorist to extra jail time. The woman admitted to using enslaved Yazidi girls to clean her home.

(Deutsche Welle) A German court on Thursday sentenced the woman, Omaima A., to additional jail time for using slave women to clean her home. The 37-year-old, already convicted of belonging to the “Islamic State” (IS) militant group, had already admitted the offense, the […]

Clothing

Employers can ban Muslim veils at work, top EU court rules Right-wing politicians across the European Union are cheering the Thursday morning decision against religious insignia.

(Courthouse News) The EU’s top court ruled on Thursday that companies can ban their employees from wearing headscarves and other religious symbols while on the clock. “An internal rule of an undertaking, prohibiting workers from wearing any visible sign of political, philosophical […]

Law Enforcement

German police raid suspected IS supporters Ten warrants were executed across the German state of Hesse on suspicion of financing a terror group. The accused include eight men and two women between the ages of 20 and 51.

(Deutsche Welle) Police in the German state of Hesse searched multiple locations in connection with investigations involving suspected “Islamic State” extremists, local authorities said Wednesday morning. Ten search warrants were executed across the state “on suspicion of terrorist financing and the preparation […]

News: Europe

Islamists in Germany: Quiet, but dangerous A stabbing spree in the German city of Würzburg has renewed focus on the threat of Islamism, even if the attacker's motive remains unclear.

(Deutsche Welle) Last week’s knife attack in the Bavarian city of Würzburg left three people dead and seven injured — five of them seriously. The suspect is a man from Somalia whose asylum application had been rejected. Police are investigating his motives, […]

Government & Politics

Germany: Würzburg holds vigil for knife attack victims At an emotional memorial service, Würzburg mourned the deaths of three women who were killed in a knife attack. With the motive still unclear, officials urged against responding to the attack with 'hate and revenge.'

(Deutsche Welle) Bavarian State Premier Markus Söder attended a memorial service on Sunday for the victims of the knife attack in the city of Würzburg, around 120 kilometers (74.5 miles) east of Frankfurt. “We cannot answer such a hateful deed with hate and revenge,” […]

Academics & Education

German Islamic teacher’s license revoked for being too liberal Abdel-Hakim Ourghi has written books including 'You Don't Have to Wear a Headscarf' and 'Reform Islam: 40 Theses.' His application to train other Islamic teachers was turned down for vague reasons.

(Deutsche Welle) A German Islamic scholar has had his teaching license rejected because of his “liberal theological convictions,” one of his peers told a newspaper on Saturday. Islam expert Susanne Schröter spoke out in support of Abdel-Hakim Ourghi, who headed the Islamic […]