‘Sharia Patrol’ Didn’t Break Law – German Court Ruling

A German court has ruled that a group of Islamists did not break the law when forming a ‘Sharia police force’ in 2014. The group caused public outrage after patrolling a western city in orange vests, instructing residents to abide by the strict Muslim code.

Germany Cracks Down on Salafists to Shield Refugees

THE NEW YORK TIMES: HILDESHEIM, Germany — For years, the authorities in Germany have warily monitored the swelling ranks of Salafists, followers of an ultraconservative branch of Islam who are known for aggressive proselytizing and their sympathies for the Islamic State.

But after long being perceived as dithering, German officials are cracking down with new resolve, as evidenced in a nationwide sweep against one Salafist group this past week, just days after the arrest of a high-profile imam.

The sudden vigilance has been propelled in part by increasing concern that the Salafists are trying to recruit among the hundreds of thousands of Muslim refugees who arrived a year ago, encouraging some to sign up for jihad in Syria and Iraq or to carry out attacks in Germany. » | Alison Smale | Saturday, November 19, 2016

Germany: Salafists on the Rapid Increase

ARUTZ SHEVA: Salafist fundamentalist Islam is rising strongly in Germany, according to German security services.

Salafism – a form of fundamentalist Islam – is on the rise in Germany, according to a survey commissioned by German security services.

Clarion Project - which is committed to "challenging extremism [and] promoting dialogue," according to its website - says the reports shows that over the first half of 2015, the number of German Muslims identifying themselves as Salafists has risen 25%. In the past, this number has risen approximately 3% over six-month periods.

Though the numbers are still small, the rapid growth is attracting interest. In June of this year, 7,900 people are estimated to be Salafists, as opposed to 6,300 in January.

Salafism is a form of Islam that itself is roughly divided into three groups: Those who don't get involved in politics, those who do, and Jihadist Salafists. All three seek to return the practice of Islam to its original form as delineated by Muhammed 14 centuries ago. They are also all in favor of a global caliphate and sharia (Islamic) law.

Clarion notes that Salafists believe that democracy must be eradicated. ISIS (the Islamic State), al-Qaeda and most of the world’s Islamist terror organizations practice Salafist Islam. » | Hillel Fendel | Tuesday, November 24, 2015

'Islamist Attack' Thwarted in Germany, Official Says; 2 Arrested

CNN: (CNN) – German authorities think they "have thwarted an Islamist attack," and a married couple has been arrested in a town near Frankfurt in connection with the case, the interior minister for the German state of Hesse told reporters Thursday.

The official didn't provide details about the alleged plot, but German media are reporting that a man and a woman were arrested on suspicion of planning a bomb attack on a bicycle road race that is scheduled to run near Frankfurt on Friday. » | Paul Cruickshank and Jason Hanna, CNN | Thursday, April 30, 2015

Salafist Surge: Germany Faces Extremist Islamic Threat (April 28, 2013)
The radical Islamist movement is gaining ground in Germany with immigrants attempting to apply their traditions and laws to their new home. The country's government however is trying to cope the spreading amount of extremist Islamic sentiment. RT's Pieter Oliver reports.

Radical Islam Spreads in Germany

The Path to Radicalization: Following a German Salafist to Egypt

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: A year ago, a SPIEGEL editor met a Salafist in Hannover. Following several meetings in Germany, he traveled with him to his new home in Egypt. But he could not have anticipated the danger he would encounter there.

It's still dark in Alexandria, and I can hear the Salafist breathing in the dark. He is tiptoeing across the room.

The man approaching my bed picked me up from the airport yesterday. His name is Dennis Rathkamp, and he is a 24-year-old auto mechanic who used to play guitar in his church confirmation class. He moved to Egypt a few weeks ago to learn how to become a good Muslim.

On this morning, my body is lying between Rathkamp and Mecca. He drops to his knees and lowers his forehead to the floor. It's 6:30 a.m., time for early prayers. I hear Rathkamp moving his lips silently. He promised me he would try to be quiet while praying.

I am lying in this bed in a stranger's apartment because I am searching for an answer to the question of what drives the Salafists, a group of people who are feared in Germany. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany's domestic intelligence agency, estimates that 60 German Salafists emigrated to Egypt last year. Many chose the city of Alexandria as their new home, and they now live in the Mandara neighborhood in the north of the city.

Rathkamp says that he moved to Alexandria because he wants to learn the language of his prophet -- and because he could no longer endure the discrimination in Germany.

I met him when he was handing out Korans in the northern German city of Hannover last spring. I asked him if he would take me to his mosque, because I wanted to learn more about Islam. I accompanied him to Friday prayers many times after that. We drank tea together and had long conversations. Afterwards, he would drive me to the train station and give me pamphlets explaining women's role in Islam to take home to my girlfriend. » | Takis Würger | Friday, March 15, 2013

Koran Handouts in Germany: Freedom of Religion vs. Fears of Muslim Extremism

Nazism to 'Salafism': Islamists Threaten Germany