Source: Deutsche Welle – Eye on Islamism

Security questions over Christmas market attack in Magdeburg The attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg has raised questions about public safety and intelligence gaps in Germany. Police have described the suspect as 'atypical,' while experts have also blamed social media.

December 22, 2024 Ben Knight

(Deutsche Welle) German security forces faced a series of difficult questions at Saturday’s press conference in Magdeburg. Friday night’s attack, in which Talib A.*, a 50-year-old Saudi man, rammed a car into a crowd at a busy Christmas market in the Saxony-Anhalt […]

Pretrial detention for Magdeburg Christmas market suspect A court in Magdeburg has approved a pretrial detention warrant for the suspect in Friday's Christmas market attack. The 50-year-old faces five homicide charges, among other counts.

December 22, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Magdeburg police said in the early hours of Sunday that the suspect in the Christmas market car attack in the city on Friday night had been issued a warrant for pretrial detention. Magdeburg’s district court approved an appeal from the […]

Germany’s Faeser calls for ‘vigilance’ at Christmas markets German security authorities said that while there were no indications of a 'concrete' threat, the country's popular Christmas markets could be a target for Islamist terrorist groups.

November 28, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on Thursday called for “great vigilance” at Germany’s popular Christmas markets. However, she stressed that there was no “concrete” evidence of a threat. What did Faeser say about the threat to Christmas markets? Faeser said […]

German trial opens over alleged Islamist Sweden attack plot Two men with Afghan citizenship are accused of plotting an attack near the Swedish parliament in Stockholm. They hatched the plot amid uproar in parts of the Muslim world over two protests involving Quran burning.

November 15, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) A trial opens in Jena in the eastern German state of Thuringia on Friday against two men with Afghan citizenship accused of plotting a terrorist attack near the Swedish parliament in Stockholm. What are the pair accused of? One of the […]

Germany: Police arrest man over Israeli Embassy attack plot Police have arrested a man suspected of links to the 'Islamic State' group and planning an attack on the Israeli Embassy. Prosecutors say he had been planning to attack the diplomatic mission using firearms.

October 20, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) A Libyan man with alleged ties to the “Islamic State” (IS) militant group was set to appear before Germany’s highest court on Sunday, charged with planning an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Berlin. The man was detained on Saturday in […]

The teenage terrorists of the ‘Islamic State’ The number of teenagers arrested on terrorism charges is growing in Europe. How is the extremist 'Islamic State' group, with branches in Africa and Afghanistan, convincing European teens to attack its enemies?

September 11, 2024 Cathrin Schaer

(Deutsche Welle) The Austrian teenager who was shot dead last week after firing a vintage rifle at German police in Munich is thought to have been influenced by Islamist extremism. But 18-year-old Emrah I., from a small town in the Salzburg region, hardly attended […]

Germany and Europe are once again ‘Islamic State’ targets The Solingen knife attack has sparked renewed concerns about 'Islamic State' targeting Germany and Europe. Experts warn of a new wave of IS-linked violence driven by Middle East conflicts.

August 27, 2024 Christoph Hasselbach

(Deutsche Welle) The so-called “Islamic State” (IS) extremist group has claimed responsibility for the knife attack in Solingen. According to Amaq, the mouthpiece of IS, the attack was carried out in “revenge for Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere” and targeted a “group […]

Germany: Solingen attack suspect named, remanded in custody A Syrian man accused of killing three people in Solingen, Germany, has been remanded in custody. Authorities link him to the 'Islamic State' group.

August 25, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) German prosecutors on Sunday released the name of the 26-year-old Syrian man suspected of a multiple stabbing attack in the western city of Solingen that killed three people and injured eight others. Issa Al H., who was identified without his family name due […]

Germany: Several killed in stabbing at Solingen street party Police have launched a manhunt after a man killed three people and seriously injured five more with a knife. The attack took place as the city of Solingen was celebrating its 650th anniversary.

August 23, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Three people were killed and five seriously injured in a knife attack in the western German city of Solingen on Friday. Police said they had launched a “major operation to find the suspect, who escaped in the turmoil and panic that initially […]

Germany: Islamist terror poses ‘persistently high’ risk German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has warned that Germany remains a target for Islamist terrorists. Her comments follow the cancellation of three Austrian concerts by US pop star Taylor Swift.

August 12, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) German security officials on Monday said the threat of Islamist terrorism in the country remains high, with several groups seeking to radicalize recruits amid turmoil in the Middle East. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said German intelligence services were in “very […]

Is Islamist radicalization returning to the Western Balkans? The recent crossbow attack on a Serbian police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade has stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could trigger a wave of radicalization in the region. Are these fears justified?

July 19, 2024 Claudia Mende

(Deutsche Welle) The Islam practiced in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Sandzak region in southwestern Serbia is considered open-minded and tolerant. For centuries, Sunni Muslims have lived their own form of a European Islam here alongside Christians and Jews. Since the 1990s, however, this […]

German lay judge challenges a headscarf ban in court A German Muslim woman has been barred from working as a lay judge because she wears a headscarf which was alleged to be in violation of the requirement of neutrality. The matter is now before the constitutional court.

July 13, 2024 Marcel Fürstenau

(Deutsche Welle) In 2015, Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court ruled against a general headscarf ban for teachers, saying that such a ban was incompatible with the freedom of religion guaranteed in the German Constitution. Nine years later, the same court is again addressing […]

Mainz wrong to sack El Ghazi over Gaza comments, court rules Bundesliga club Mainz sacked Anwar El Ghazi after the player issued a pair of social media posts on the war in Gaza. A German labor court has sided with the player, ordering the club to reimburse his lost income.

July 12, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Football club Mainz 05 did not have good reason to sack Dutch footballer Anwar El Ghazi for his comments about the war in Gaza, Mainz’s labor court ruled on Friday. The court found that El Ghazi’s comments on social media […]

Germany, Sweden arrest 8 over suspected war crimes in Syria German authorities have said the men are suspected of killing civilians during Syria's civil war. Swedish officials have also made arrests over suspected crimes against humanity committed in Syria.

July 3, 2024 Kieran Burke

(Deutsche Welle) German and Swedish authorities on Wednesday said they arrested eight men suspected of committing crimes against humanity in Syria. Germany’s Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that four stateless Syrian Palestinians and a Syrian national are “strongly suspected of killing […]

German court sentences teen over Christmas terror plot A German court has handed a four-year custodial sentence to a defendant for planning a terror attack on a Christmas market.

June 28, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) A regional court in the western German city of Cologne on Friday sentenced a 15-year-old to four years in youth custody for planning an attack on a Christmas market in the nearby city of Leverkusen. The court found that the […]

Germany: Police shoot man dead after Euro 2024 party attack A man went on the rampage in Wolmirstedt, in eastern Saxony-Anhalt state, killing another man and stabbing people at a private football party. The assailant was later shot dead by the police.

June 15, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) A man attacked several people in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, including at a private party to mark the opening of the Euro 2024 soccer tournament, before he was shot and killed by the police. German police said Saturday that […]

Suspected IS supporter arrested at Cologne airport The suspect allegedly supported an offshoot of the Islamic State. He also reportedly unsuccessfully applied to work at Euro 2024-related events.

June 9, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) A suspected supporter of the Islamic State (IS) was arrested a week before the start of the UEFA European football championship in Germany, the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office said Sunday. According to a spokesperson for the Karlsruhe authority, the suspect […]

Germany debates deportations to Afghanistan, Syria A deadly knife attack that killed a police officer has triggered demands to allow deportations to Afghanistan. Anti-immigration rhetoric is being stepped up ahead of the elections for the European Parliament.

June 7, 2024 Jens Thurau

(Deutsche Welle) Colleagues, family and politicians converged on the city square in Mannheim on Friday to remember the young policeman who sustained deadly injuries one week ago. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier laid flowers. A 25-year-old man originally from Afghanistan, who is married […]

Mannheim knife attack: Authorities suspect Islamist motive German federal prosecutors have begun investigating a knife attack which left a police officer dead in Mannheim. On Monday, thousands of people gathered in the southwestern German city to pay their respects.

June 4, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) German authorities say they believe there was an Islamist motive behind a knife attack at an anti-Islam rally in the southwestern German city of Mannheim on Friday during which a police officer was killed. The federal prosecutor, Germany’s highest prosecuting authority […]

German police raid pro-Palestinian group in Duisburg The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has banned the group Palestine Solidarity Duisburg over alleged antisemitism and support for Hamas.

May 16, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) German police in the western city of Duisburg carried out raids on [Thursday] on four properties linked to a pro-Palestinian group over its alleged support for Hamas. The interior ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany’s most populated state where the city is […]

Germany: Man jailed for life for train knife attack A 34-year-old man has been given the toughest penalty in German law after attacking people with a knife on a train in 2023, killing two and wounding four others. The defense argued he should be put in psychiatric care.

May 15, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) A court in Itzehoe on Wednesday sentenced a 34-year-old man to life in prison for killing two people and stabbing several others on a local train in northern Germany last January. A 17-year-old and her 19-year-old boyfriend were killed in the […]

Caliphate protests in Hamburg: What is Muslim Interactive? The relatively new organization Muslim Interactive has shocked the public with calls for a caliphate. Experts believe the movement is identitarian.

May 11, 2024 Lisa Hänel

(Deutsche Welle) It’s estimated that some 1,000 people gathered at Hamburg’s popular street Steindamm late April, following a call to protests by an organization called Muslim Interactive (MI). Some demonstrators chanted “God is great,” and held up signs that read “caliphate is […]

Hamburg ‘caliphate’ rally prompts calls for punishment German politicians have called for action after reports of a rally in which speakers demanded Shariah law in Germany. A leading Bavarian conservative said such appeals should lead to jail time and citizenship removal.

May 1, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) A top Bavarian politician on Wednesday demanded tougher consequences for people advocating for Germany to become a “caliphate,” saying they should face prison terms and lose citizenship. Alexander Dobrindt, who heads Bavaria’s conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) in Germany’s Bundestag, […]

Muslims in the German military to get their own chaplaincy Bundeswehr soldiers of Islamic faith have long lacked the pastoral care available to their Christian and, as of recent years, Jewish counterparts. What was once seen as politically impossible is about to change.

April 1, 2024 Christoph Strack

(Deutsche Welle) As the parliamentary commissioner for the German armed forces, or Bundeswehr, Eva Högl is responsible for ensuring that the issues and needs of German soldiers get heard. In mid-March, Högl presented her third annual report in her role as commissioner […]

Germany detains two IS suspects over Swedish attack plan German police have arrested two suspected Islamists for allegedly planning a firearms attack near the Swedish parliament.

March 19, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday said two suspected supporters of the so-called “Islamic State” (IS) jihadist militia had been arrested in the central German state of Thuringia. Prosecutors allege that the two Afghan nationals had hatched a plot to carry out an attack […]

Germany: ‘DAVA’ party woos voters with Turkish roots Fighting Islamophobia and strengthening 'traditional values' are core issues in the election program with which DAVA reaches out to Muslim migrants in Germany. Is Turkish President Recep Erdogan behind the movement?

February 7, 2024 Elmas Topcu

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s newly founded “Democratic Alliance for Diversity and Awakening” (DAVA) is currently a voters’ association, but it intends to run as a party in the European elections on June 9. This announcement in January triggered a heated debate in Germany, […]

Germany trains new generation of Muslim leaders In a groundbreaking move, Germany trains its own Muslim religious leaders, fostering a deeper connection with local communities. Muslim associations across the country are seeing a generational change and reorientation.

January 21, 2024 Christoph Strack

(Deutsche Welle) Osman Soyer is a religious affairs officer who was sworn into office this month in the Sehitlik Mosque in Berlin’s Neukölln district. He is one of 28 young men and women who have been trained as “religious representatives” by DITIB, […]

Germany seeks Cologne Cathedral attack suspect’s deportation Authorities are seeking to expel the 25-year-old arrested on suspicion of planning a New Year's Eve attack on the historic cathedral. The Tajik national was arrested along with three others, but they were later released.

January 13, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) German police said Saturday that they are pressing forward with deportation proceedings for a young man accused of planning a New Year’s Eve terror attack on Cologne Cathedral. The Dortmund District Court had granted a deportation warrant for the 25-year-old […]

Cologne Cathedral attack: Austria issues warrant for suspect Austrian authorities want to speak to a man being held in connection with a year-end terrorist plot targeting Cologne Cathedral.

January 7, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Austrian authorities have issued a European arrest warrant for a suspect detained in Germany over an alleged plot to attack the historic cathedral in Cologne, German police said on Sunday. On Christmas Eve, a 30-year-old Tajik national was held in the city of Wesel, […]

Is migration the EU’s biggest challenge in 2024? Few topics were as influential in shaping social discourse last year as migration. It's likely to dominate the EU's agenda again in the new year.

January 2, 2024 Lucia Schulten

(Deutsche Welle) The number of asylum applications to the European Union has risen over the past two years. While there were just under 1 million in 2022, the European Union Agency for Asylum has predicted that this mark could now have hit […]

Police ramp up security at Cologne Cathedral for New Year’s German authorities are on high alert following a warning about a possible attack on the Cologne Cathedral on New Year's Eve.

December 30, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Authorities in the German city of Cologne have increased security measures around its cathedral ahead of New Year’s Eve. Police officers armed with submachine guns were being deployed to protect people planning to ring in the new year near the […]

Police in Berlin ban pro-Palestinian New Year rally Authorities in Berlin have said the planned pro-Palestinian rally would carry a risk of 'crimes,' including displays of antisemitism and glorification of violence.

December 30, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Berlin police announced on Saturday that a pro-Palestinian rally scheduled for New Year’s Eve in Berlin’s Neukölln district should not take place. Officials said the decision had been taken because of an imminent danger “that the gathering will result in […]

Germany: Man detained over Cologne Cathedral threat Police said a 30-year-old man would be detained until 7 January. German police had received an alert that a group may be planning an attack on the Cologne Cathedral on New Year's Eve.

December 26, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) German police said on Tuesday they had detained a man in connection with a dangerous threat at the iconic Cologne Cathedral in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). Police announced the arrest of five men after searching an apartment in Wesel, some […]

Germany charges 2 Syrians with war crimes over IS ties Authorities accuse the two Syrians in German custody of membership in a terrorist group and having committed war crimes in Damascus a decade ago.

December 22, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) German prosecutors have charged two Syrian men with war crimes they are accused of having committed some 10 years ago in the Syrian capital Damascus, as part of the so-called Islamic State militant group. In line with German privacy rules, the […]

Germany: Ulm synagogue arson trial begins A 47-year-old man is on trial over what is thought to have been an antisemitic arson attack on the synagogue in the southern German city of Ulm in 2021.

December 21, 2023 Timothy Jones

(Deutsche Welle) A 47-year-old Turkish man who is alleged to have carried out an arson attack on a synagogue in Ulm more than two years ago went on trial at the district court in the southern city on Thursday. Prosecutors in the […]

Germany braces for potential New Year’s Eve riots Police have stepped up preparations to deal with violence against them and emergency service staff on New Year's Eve. There are worries that the situation in the Middle East could worsen the problem.

December 21, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said she fears a repeat of New Year rioting and attacks on emergency services in Berlin and other cities. “I’m worried that New Year’s Eve could once again be a day on which we are forced […]

German police raid pro-Palestinian feminist group The raids were part of a probe into allegations that members of the group Zora were using emblems of the PFLP, which Israel, the EU and the US have designated a terrorist organization.

December 20, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Police in Berlin, Germany’s capital, conducted on Wednesday a raid targeting members of a pro-Palestinian, left-wing feminist group, German media reported. The Zora group is accused of backing the radical, left-wing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The European […]

Germany deports Iraqi over ‘terror’ suspicion The 20-year-old was suspected of planning a 'terrorist attack' targeting a Christmas market in eastern Germany. He has been permanently banned from reentering the country.

December 16, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) A 20-year-old Iraqi has been deported back to his home country after German authorities suspected he was planning a “terrorist attack,” Germany’s Interior Ministry announced on Saturday. The Interior Ministry of the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt accused the unnamed man of […]

Germany’s CDU redefines stance on Islam in new manifesto Under Friedrich Merz, Germany's Christian Democratic Union is revising its manifesto, sparking controversy with its new stance on Islam and migration. The party's new direction marks a departure from the Merkel era.

December 12, 2023 William Noah Glucroft

(Deutsche Welle) The new color scheme a few months back was only a cosmetic step. Now, Germany’s center-right Christian Democrats are going under the hood. For the first time since 2007, the party that ruled Germany for most of the republic’s young […]

Paty murder trial shines a light on France’s democracy Six minors are standing trial in Paris for their alleged role in the killing of a teacher. But some feel the authorities are missing this opportunity to examine the state of freedom of expression in France.

December 7, 2023 Lisa Louis

(Deutsche Welle) The killing of French history teacher Samuel Paty on October 16, 2020, left the country in deep shock. And yet, some feel the first court case on the alleged role of six minors in the attack is failing to bring about […]

Germany on guard against terrorism Against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war and one-off attacks closer to home, German authorities are confronting a 'complex threat situation.' Some observers warn against exaggerating the danger.

December 5, 2023 William Noah Glucroft

(Deutsche Welle) A handful of isolated but high-profile incidents have put politically motivated crime high on Germany’s security agenda. The renewed fears follow a German tourist getting stabbed to death in Paris last weekend, allegedly by a man with a history of criminal […]

Germany: Teens allegedly planned Christmas market attack Two teenagers arrested this week allegedly planned to set off an explosion at a Christmas market in Leverkusen. Prosecutors said they then planned to join an offshoot of the so-called 'Islamic State' group.

November 30, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Two German teenagers are accused of plotting a terror attack on a Christmas market in the western German city of Leverkusen, German prosecutors said on Thursday. The suspects, a 15-year-old boy in North Rhine-Westphalia and a 16-year-old boy in the […]

German intelligence warns of heightened terror risk Germany's domestic intelligence agency says the danger of a terror attack in the country is 'higher than it has been for a long time.' It cited the October 7 Hamas attacks and the subsequent Israel-Hamas war as factors.

November 29, 2023 Richard Connor

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the [Constitution] (BfV) on Wednesday said the danger of an Islamist terror attack on German soil had significantly increased. The agency said the raised risk of attacks against the Jewish community or “the […]

German police raid suspected Hamas and Samidoun properties Berlin had banned activities related to Hamas — a designated terrorist group — and the international pro-Palestinian network Samidoun at the beginning of November.

November 23, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) The German Interior Ministry on Thursday said police had conducted raids on properties in four federal states connected to suspected Hamas and Samidoun members. Germany, along with the US, the EU and others, has designated Hamas a terrorist organization. Samidoun […]

Germany: Faeser seeks Hamas condemnation at Islam conference Germany's interior minister has said she will seek clear positions on Hamas from faith groups at the government's annual Islam conference. Nancy Faeser said they should assume 'their responsibility in society.'

November 21, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) The ongoing conflict in Gaza in the aftermath of Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks against Israel looked sure to overshadow the German government’s annual Islam conference in Berlin on Tuesday. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said ahead of the event on […]

Germany bans Hamas activities, dissolves Samidoun group Germany's Interior Ministry has announced a ban on pro-Palestinian group Samidoun and completely outlawed activities linked to the Islamist militant group Hamas. But what does the tightening of the law mean?

November 2, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Germany has announced a ban on Samidoun, a group that says it advocates for Palestinian prisoners, and imposed further prohibitions to stamp out support for the Islamist militant group Hamas, which Berlin already lists as a terrorist organization. Chancellor Olaf […]

Germany: Duisburg police arrest terror suspect — reports German media reports said the man was planning an attack on a pro-Israel demonstration.

October 24, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Police in the western German city of Duisburg on Tuesday arrested a man who was allegedly planning a terror attack, multiple German media outlets reported. The man was supposedly planning to attack a pro-Israel demonstration with a truck to which he […]

Germany: Trial of Islamist in Duisburg knife attacks begins The trial of a man accused of murder and attempted murder in the German city of Duisburg has begun. The accused individual shocked the court by repeatedly making Islamist gestures and refusing to stand for the judge.

October 23, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) The trial of a 27-year-old Syrian man accused of murder and attempted murder began at the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia on Monday. Federal prosecutors, who took over the case on August […]

Berlin: 174 arrested at unauthorized pro-Palestinian events Clashes broke [out] between police and protesters at an unauthorized demonstration in the Berlin district of Neukölln. At least 65 police officers were injured.

October 19, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) At least 174 people were arrested and 65 police officers were injured at unauthorized pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Berlin on Wednesday night, according to a police spokesperson. Authorities had banned such protests, which have been called in response to the conflict […]

Germany’s first cohort of locally trained imams graduates Germany set up its own training school for imams due to the large number of foreign-trained Islamic religious leaders. The issue now is the lack of jobs for the graduates.

September 30, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Twenty-four Muslims from across Germany formally passed their imam training at the country’s new Islamkolleg Deutschland in the northwestern city of Osnabrück on Saturday. The graduates, who included men and women, received their first certificate of completion after attending a two-year part-time course. […]