News: Europe

Germany detains ‘Islamic State’ returnee deported from Turkey German authorities have detained an Islamist who was expelled with his family from Turkey. Ankara has been deporting individuals with alleged affiliation to the 'Islamic State' terror group to their countries of origin.

(Deutsche Welle) The father of a family of seven, expelled by Turkey on Thursday, was taken into custody on arrival in Germany, said Martin Pallgen, a spokesman for the Berlin state Interior Ministry. A warrant for his arrest is understood not to be […]

Deradicalization

Germany: Don’t panic over ‘Islamic State’ returnees’ arrival Berlin has tried to reassure the public that suspected German Islamic State supporters being deported from Turkey do not pose a security threat. Critics say the government should have brought them back sooner.

(Deutsche Welle) A family of seven German Islamists arrived in Berlin on Thursday after the Turkish Interior Ministry announced earlier this week that it would start deportations of captured “Islamic State” supporters. There are no German arrest warrants for the family of German-Iraqi Kanan B., meaning […]

Government & Politics

German state fights Islamist extremism with YouTube satire The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia is betting on wit and humor as an antidote to Islamist extremism. Extremists use YouTube to target young people, but NRW wants to fight fire with fire.

(Deutsche Welle) The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has launched a satirical YouTube channel in the hope of stopping young people from becoming radicalized via the video sharing platform. The project launched by the NRW Office for the Protection of the Constitution […]

Clerics & Preachers

French Muslim association to forge ahead with imam training plans despite Macron reticence Hakim El Karoui’s association plans to raise cash from taxes on halal products and Hajj trips

(National-UAE) A new French Muslim association is pressing ahead with plans to finance the training and payment of imams despite silence from President Emmanuel Macron on his long-promised initiative for the organisation of Islam in France. Analysts believe the president shelved his […]

Law Enforcement

German police raid suspected Islamists’ homes The raids in the western cities of Düren and Cologne came after credible tipoffs were received by police. Six men have been taken in for questioning, according to German media.

(Deutsche Welle) Police in Germany’s western state of North Rhine-Westphalia carried out raids against suspected Islamist extremists on Thursday. Officers were searching for “concrete indications” of a planned attack, authorities said. Sniffer dogs were present as the police searched for explosives, but […]

Crime

Unveiling the truth behind Tariq Ramadan’s rape allegations As new evidence continually piles up in the Tariq Ramadan case, it becomes increasingly difficult to differentiate between fact and fiction on both sides of the allegations against the reformist scholar.

(Morocco World News) The controversy surrounding the case of Tariq Ramadan has reached new heights, as the rape allegations against the reformist scholar have been called into question following an investigation by the Parisian Criminal Brigade (BC). Revealing inconsistencies in his accusers’ […]

Clerics & Preachers

Sweden to deport Iraqi imam: reports

(AFP) Sweden is to deport three foreigners including an Iraqi imam suspected of playing a central role in an Islamist movement, media reports said Wednesday, quoting the Swedish migration office. Counter-terrorism police arrested Abu Raad, the imam of a mosque in the […]

Children & Teens

Anna, a young woman seeking love and Allah Elke Müller is fighting for her daughter Anna, who fell in love with a young Afghan and converted to Islam. Her mother spoke to DW about feeling alienated and her fear that Anna might become radicalized.

(Deutsche Welle) The day that Elke Müller dreads so much is not long off — the day her daughter Anna turns 18. “When she is of age, I can no longer legally hold her back,” Müller told DW. And then, she fears, […]

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 […]