Source: Deutsche Welle – Page 3

Germany: Several injured in knife attack on train The attack took place on an Intercity Express (ICE) train between the southern German cities of Regensburg and Nuremberg. Police have reported several injuries.

November 6, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) German Federal Police on Saturday said there was a knife attack on a train in the southern German state of Bavaria, resulting in several injuries. The train was traveling near Neumarkt between the cities of Regensburg and Nuremberg at the […]

Vienna honors victims of terror attack 1 year later Austrian leaders have taken part in a memorial service to remember the people killed during a shooting spree in central Vienna in 2020. Criticism remains over the government's actions in the run-up to the violence.

November 2, 2021 Alex Berry

(Deutsche Welle) Vienna marked one year on Tuesday since a deadly terror attack that left four people dead. On November 2, 2020, a sympathizer of the so-called Islamic State (IS) group shot and killed four people in the Austrian capital before he himself was […]

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.

October 25, 2021 Unlisted Author

(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 […]

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.

October 11, 2021 Unlisted Author

(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 […]

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.'

October 1, 2021 Unlisted Author

(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 […]

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.

September 17, 2021 Unlisted Author

(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. […]

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.'

September 16, 2021 Unlisted Author

(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 […]

Germany indicts 4 for supporting al-Nusra in Syria German federal prosecutors have said they indicted four men on suspicion of providing help to Islamist militant group Jabhat al-Nusra.

September 16, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) German federal prosecutors on Thursday said they had indicted four men on suspicion of supporting Islamist extremist group Jabhat al-Nusra. One of the men is also accused of joining the group and traveling to Syria to fight with the breakaway […]

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.

September 4, 2021 Matthias von Hein

(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 […]

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.

August 30, 2021 Unlisted Author

(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 […]

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.

August 9, 2021 Unlisted Author

(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 […]

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.

July 22, 2021 Richard Connor

(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 […]

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.

July 14, 2021 Unlisted Author

(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 […]

Vienna terror attack: Police search suspects’ homes in Germany German officials said the raids were carried out in the homes of one German and one Kosovar national.

July 7, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) German police announced Wednesday they raided the homes of two alleged accomplices of the November 2020 terror attack in Vienna that left four dead and more than 20 injured. The German Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Karlsruhe said the two accused, […]

France hopes deporting more alleged radicals will bring security France has repatriated more than half the people it defined as radical Islamists living in the country without a residence permit since 2018. Now it wants to extend the penalty and deport even more.

July 4, 2021 Andreas Noll

(Deutsche Welle) When French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin summoned the country’s regional prefects in June, his message was clear. The authorities in France’s regions had to take swift, decisive action against foreigners who committed crimes. Residence permits should be reviewed, and more offenders […]

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.

June 29, 2021 Marcel Fürstenau

(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, […]

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.'

June 27, 2021 Unlisted Author

(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,” […]

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.

June 26, 2021 Leah Carter

(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 […]

Europol: Violent extremists take advantage of COVID-19 pandemic A new report on terrorist activity in the EU has highlighted the threat of online propaganda during the pandemic. The research shows Islamist and far-right extremists have posed the greatest threat.

June 22, 2021 Alex Berry

(Deutsche Welle) The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the spread of violent ideologies, according to a new report published by the EU’s law enforcement agency Europol on Tuesday. The report highlighted the prominence of online propaganda in building communities and encouraging lone wolf […]

German government agrees to ban Hamas flag after antisemitic incidents The German government wants to send a message to Jewish citizens after several antisemitic incidents took place amid pro-Palestinian protests last month.

June 20, 2021 Wesley Dockery

(Deutsche Welle) All parties in Germany’s grand coalition government have agreed to ban the flag of Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist group Hamas, the Welt am Sonntag newspaper said in a report published Sunday. The move comes after several antisemitic incidents occurred last month in […]

Austria’s Muslim youth file lawsuit against ‘Islam map’ The map, showing the names and location of over 600 mosques and associations in the country, has sparked outcry.

May 29, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Muslim Youth Austria (MJO) is filing a lawsuit against the country’s controversial “Map of Political Islam,” the group announced on Saturday. The map, showing the names and location of over 600 mosques and associations in Austria and their possible links abroad, […]

Germany carries out raids on Hezbollah-linked groups The three groups have been banned for allegedly collecting money for the families of Hezbollah fighters. The Lebanese militants have been active opponents of Israel.

May 19, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s Interior Ministry has outlawed three organizations accused of collecting money for the militant Iran-backed movement Hezbollah in Lebanon. Bans against German Lebanese Family, People for Peace and Give Peace came into effect on Wednesday, but had already been pronounced […]

Germany outlaws Islamist organization Ansaar International Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has banned the Düsseldorf-based Islamist association on suspicion of financing terrorist groups abroad such as the Palestinian Hamas and al-Shabab in Somalia.

May 5, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Interior Minister Horst Seehofer announced on Wednesday that Germany has banned the Islamist organization Ansaar International and several of its sub-organizations. “The network finances terrorism worldwide with donations,” Seehofer’s spokesman Steve Alter tweeted on Wednesday. Alter quoted Seehofer as saying: “If you want to […]

Muslims in Germany: Religion not a good gauge of integration A study shows that the number of Muslims in Germany has significantly risen compared to 2015 and many still face challenges in employment and education. But religion may only be a minor cause of these challenges.

April 28, 2021 Elliot Douglas

(Deutsche Welle) “Wir schaffen das” — “We can do it.” Those were the now-famous words that German Chancellor Angela Merkel used in 2015 to indicate that Germany was prepared and able to take in a large number of refugees — ultimately around […]

Germany: Conservatives seek to isolate Islamist groups Germany's governing conservative bloc is planning to cut all government ties with groups suspected of supporting political Islamism, according to a report in Die Welt. Large Muslim umbrella organizations may be affected.

April 13, 2021 Alex Berry

(Deutsche Welle) The parliamentary group of Germany’s ruling conservative bloc has called for an end to cooperation with groups suspected of supporting political Islamism, the newspaper Die Welt reported on Tuesday. The bloc, made up of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and […]

German professor under police protection for stance on Islamophobia A German professor at a university in Grenoble, France, has become the target of a hate campaign for not wanting to compare anti-Semitism with Islamophobia.

March 16, 2021 Stefan Dege and Heike Mund

(Deutsche Welle) “Fascists in our lecture halls! Dismiss Professor Kinzler! Islamophobia kills,” read the large banners hanging at the University of Grenoble. Activists from the French student union Unef also posted the slogans online. Five months after the brutal murder of history […]

Syrian pair appear in German court over filmed ‘execution’ Two suspected war criminals from Syria have appeared in court in the German city of Düsseldorf. They are accused of taking part in and filming the 'execution' of a Syrian regime soldier for propaganda purposes.

March 4, 2021 Richard Connor

(Deutsche Welle) Two men appeared at a higher regional court in Düsseldorf on Thursday charged with committing a war crime and the membership and support of a terror organization. The pair are suspected of having taken part in the execution of a […]

Berlin: Salafist group outlawed after police raids Authorities in the German capital have announced a ban on the radical Islamist group Jama'atu Berlin following a series of dawn raids.

February 25, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Berlin’s Senate has announced on Twitter that it has banned the “jihadist-Salafist association Jama’atu Berlin,” also known as Tauhid Berlin. The tweet Thursday said police in Berlin and Brandenburg had carried out early-morning searches of properties belonging to the group’s members. A […]

Abu Walaa, the preacher guilty of supporting ‘Islamic State’ terrorism The trial of suspected 'Islamic State' recruiter Abu Walaa has lasted three and a half years in the German city of Celle. He was sentenced to over 10 years in prison.

February 24, 2021 Diana Hodali

(Deutsche Welle) Prosecutors had sought a sentence of 11 1/2 years for Ahmad Abdulaziz Abdullah A., also known as Abu Walaa. They said the defendant, who was born in Iraq, was the head of an “Islamic State” (IS) network and worked to […]

Germany: Syrian man charged in Dresden knife attack German prosecutors say the 20-year-old Syrian asylum-seeker was motivated by homophobia when he murdered a tourist and seriously injured his partner.

February 11, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) German federal prosecutors charged a Syrian national suspected of stabbing two men last year in the eastern city of Dresden, German media outlets reported Thursday. The 20-year-old suspect is said to have been motivated by a radical Islamist ideology, and […]

France: No Samuel Paty school after backlash over name change A French town won't rename a school after Samuel Paty — who was slain by an Islamist extremist — following backlash from teachers and parents. The move marks a sign of deeper divisions in French society.

February 8, 2021 Lisa Louis

(Deutsche Welle) No one at the school “The Eucalypts” in the village of Ollioules, near the Mediterranean coast in southern France, wants to talk to the media anymore. Sandra Olivier, maths teacher and member of the teachers’ union SNES-FSU, turned down DW’s […]

Tajik IS cell member in Germany jailed for 7 years The man had been accused of forming an 'Islamic State' cell with other locals of Tajik origins. They had first planned to shoot dead an Islam critic inside Germany.

January 26, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) A German court on Tuesday sentenced a man to seven years in prison over plans to … shoot dead a critic of Islam as part of an “Islamic State” (IS) terror cell. Summing up the four-month trial, a Düsseldorf court […]

German police busts suspected refugee smuggling ring Over a dozen suspects were linked to an operation to smuggle Syrians through the so-called Balkan route since 2019. Coordinated raids early on Tuesday involved hundreds of officers across several cities and states.

January 19, 2021 Jenipher Camino Gonzalez

(Deutsche Welle) German authorities launched coordinated raids nationwide targeting a human trafficking ring early on Tuesday, arresting suspects in Berlin, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse, federal police said in a statement. Around 400 officers mobilized in total. The raids stem from […]

Germany: Weather system named ‘Ahmet’ in diversity campaign Europe's low pressure system Ahmet is the first of 14 wintertime highs and lows named to highlight the continent's diversity.

January 5, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s DWD weather service on Tuesday used Ahmet as the official name for a low pressure system over Romania that’s headed for Germany and Poland and set to bump into Lisa, another low over Italy, and Alexander, a high over […]

Austria calls for European register of Muslim imams Austria has already adopted an obligatory imam registry among other measures aimed at reducing terrorism after a November terror attack in Vienna.

January 2, 2021 Davis VanOpdorp

(Deutsche Welle) Since the start of 2021, Austria has required the registration of all imams in the country. The mandate was one of several new measures Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s government adopted after a November 2 terror attack in Vienna. Four civilians were […]

Germany brings home ‘Islamic State’ brides, children from Syrian camps Humanitarian reasons have been cited for flying home several 'IS' brides and children from internment in Syria. At the height of the civil war, the women allegedly traveled to join the Islamist militia.

December 20, 2020 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Sunday said he was “relieved” that a “humanitarian” recovery operation had brought home 18 children and five “Islamic State” (IS) brides from Kurdish-run internment camps in northeastern Syria. One of three German women brought back, identified in reports as […]

Berlin remembers victims of Christmas market terror attack Mourners have gathered in the German capital to pay respects to those who died in the 2016 terrorist attack. This year's ceremony took place in the absence of Christmas markets.

December 19, 2020 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Over 100 people gathered in Berlin on Saturday to mourn and remember the 12 victims of the 2016 Islamist attack on a Christmas market in the German capital. At 8:02 p.m. — the exact time of the attack — church […]

Berlin Islamist terror attack: A deadly story of failure Anis Amri committed the worst Islamist attack in Germany to date when he drove into the Christmas market on Breitscheidplatz. Four years later many questions are unanswered. And many fear such an event could be repeated.

December 18, 2020 Marcel Fürstenau

(Deutsche Welle) Eleven people died and 60 were seriously injured when the Islamist Anis Amri drove a stolen truck into a Christmas market in central Berlin on December 19, 2016. The 24-year-old Tunisian national whose application for asylum had been rejected had […]

Germany: Anti-terror data mining ruled unconstitutional Powers granted in 2015 that gave systematic access to an anti-terror database are partially illegal and are now void, says Germany's Constitutional Court.

December 11, 2020 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s highest court ruled Friday that a law that gave systematic access by security agencies to a centralized anti-terror database is partially illegal. The Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe said that the widespread use of the stored personal data had […]

New French law may increase discrimination France's government is presenting a draft law to combat 'radical Islamism.' Critics say the measures are inefficient and will further stigmatize Muslims.

December 8, 2020 Lisa Louis

(Deutsche Welle) Irfan Thakar and Omar Ahamad feel misunderstood as Muslims in France. They are members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Saint-Prix, a northern suburb of Paris. As the imam, the 30-year-old Thakar regularly leads the prayer at the Moubarak mosque, […]

Renowned imam calls on Muslims to engage with France Prominent Islamic scholar [Mohammed] Abu Zaid has urged Muslims in France to cooperate with the government. But he told DW that the authorities should also foster dialogue with the Muslim community.

December 5, 2020 Jennifer Holleis

(Deutsche Welle) France’s latest steps in combating Islamist extremism at home have been closely monitored in Arab countries. The brutal killing of French teacher Samuel Paty, who had shown his pupils cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in class, prompted French President Emmanuel […]

Vienna: Iraqi jailed for life over attacks on German ICE trains An Iraqi accused of trying to derail three German high-speed passenger trains in 2018 has been handed a life sentence by a court in Vienna. The jury ultimately rejected his denial of being an 'Islamic State' supporter.

December 4, 2020 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Vienna’s regional court on Thursday sentenced a 44-year-old Iraqi to life in prison for attempting to derail high-speed passenger trains in Germany. The man had been living in the Austrian capital as a refugee with his wife and four children since 2013. The […]

German minister wants ‘criminals’ expelled to Syria, despite asylum safeguards Interior Minister Horst Seehofer wants Germany's general ban on deportations to war-torn Syria weakened to return persons deemed criminal or dangerous. Rights groups accuse him of pandering to the far right.

November 27, 2020 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s current general deportation stop to Syria should not be extended, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said Friday, urging that individual case-by-case decisions be made “at least for criminals and those considered a threat.” In 2012, Germany passed a ban on […]

124 ‘high-risk’ Islamists at large in Germany: report More than 120 Islamists in Germany pose a 'high risk,' according to the country's investigative police agency. A deadly attack in Dresden last month forced authorities to increase surveillance of dangerous Islamists.

November 21, 2020 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) In response to a parliamentary question by the Green Party, Germany’s BKA Federal Criminal Police Office revealed there are currently 124 “high risk” Islamists at large in the country. The agency also listed 151 people as posing a “moderate risk.” The BKA’s […]

Germany’s imams seen as key in combating radicalization Imam training is in the spotlight of this year's German Islam Conference. In light of recent terror attacks, Germany's interior minister said a new training program for German-speaking imams was 'money well-spent.'

November 10, 2020 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) The latest spate of terror attacks in France and Austria will not hamper the cooperation between the government and Germany’s Muslim community, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said on Tuesday. “We won’t let terrorism and extremism derail us,” Seehofer said at […]

Islamist terrorism: Germany is home to more than 600 agitators Islamist terrorism has struck again in Europe — this time in Vienna and Nice. Germany has also been the scene of numerous attacks, and the security forces keep tabs on hundreds of potential attackers.

November 4, 2020 Matthias von Hein

(Deutsche Welle) At least one of the assailants in the Vienna attack was known to police. The 20-year-old, shot dead on Monday evening, had made several attempts to leave the country and join the so-called Islamic State (IS). It would appear, however, that […]

Man denied German citizenship for refusing to shake woman’s hand The man aced the German naturalization test, but refused to shake hands with the female official handing over his citizenship. Despite claims he will not shake hands with men either, his citizenship has been rejected.

October 17, 2020 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) A German court ruled on Friday that a Muslim man who refused to shake the hand of a woman should not receive German citizenship. The 40-year-old Lebanese doctor, who came to Germany in 2002, said he refuses to shake women’s […]

German police: 91 Islamist returnees from Mid East ‘threats to society’ Germany's security services refer to people who they consider capable of serious acts of violence — including terrorist attacks — as 'threats.'

October 17, 2020 Keith Walker

(Deutsche Welle) Police in Germany labeled 91 Islamist returnees from Syria and Iraq as threats to society, according to information supplied to the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, news agency DPA reported on Saturday. The list, supplied by Germany’s interior ministry, […]

Germany: Top police informant identified by Islamist and convicted terrorist The undercover agent 'Murat Cem' is reported to be under police protection after a well-known Islamist identified him. Clues to the informant's real name were apparently found in a book about his surveillance work.

October 16, 2020 Nik Martin

(Deutsche Welle) After the identity of a high-profile police informant was blown this summer, a radical Islamist and convicted terrorist has claimed responsibility for unmasking him, German public broadcaster Tagesschau reported on Friday. Bernhard Falk said he worked out the real name […]

Germany’s refugee population falls for the first time in nine years The number of refugees living in Germany has fallen for the first time in nine years, said the Interior Ministry. Some lost their protection status, while others were prevented from entering due to COVID-19 restrictions.

October 5, 2020 Leah Carter

(Deutsche Welle) The number of refugees living in Germany has fallen for the first time in nine years, according to the Interior Ministry. In the first half of 2020, the total number of refugees decreased from about 1.83 million at the end […]