Is The EU Funding Islamism? The German Debate

“The European Commission funds several associations that are considered Islamist by the German government or the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutz). Although officials [of these associations] have garnered attention because of their anti-Semitic statements, EU funds continue to flow” (source). That was the opening claim of Welt journalist, Frederik Schindler, in a…

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The Death of Samuel Paty : Its Consequences for Laicite and for Islam

The awful decapitation on October 16th of Samuel Paty, a 47 years high school teacher, has created great emotion in French society. While the rallies to honor Samuel Paty seemed to unite the whole country and to bring out some important features of French values, e.g. the evocation of Camu’s debt to his teacher[1], the…

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Grand Mosque of Paris pulls out of Foundation for Islam in France

The Grand Mosque of Paris will pull out of a new, state-sponsored Muslim foundation, criticizing “interference” in how Islam is exercised, at a time of simmering tensions surrounding France’s second-largest faith, its spokesman said. The mosque, which represents some 250 Muslim associations, called in a statement for other Muslim groups to follow suit and “reject…

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Fear and apprehension among German Muslims after the Berlin attack

Disavowing the attacker Following the truck attack on a busy Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz in the heart of former West Berlin on December 19, German Muslims have sought to dissociate themselves from the presumed attacker. The suspected jihadist, Anis Amri, remains at large at the time of writing. Muslims gathered on the square where the…

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Dismissal of prison chaplain over extremism accusations highlights growing tensions between state and Muslim associations in Germany

Model project on prevention The Ministry of Justice in the state of Hesse has ended its cooperation with an Imam working as a prison chaplain at a correctional facility in the city of Darmstadt. Authorities reacted to advice given by the German domestic intelligence agency (the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Bundesamt für…

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