Translation:
Essen’s mayor Thomas Kufen (CDU) reacts with horror to a demonstration in his city on Friday evening. 3,000 people, including many Islamists, marched through the Ruhr metropolis.
Essen’s mayor Thomas Kufen (CDU) reacted with outrage and incomprehension to an anti-Israel demonstration that marched through the Ruhr metropolis on Friday evening. Several of the approximately 3,000 participants chanted slogans and held up posters calling for a “Khilafah” (caliphate) in Germany. The three-hour procession on the edge of the city center was accompanied by 450 police officers and observed by state security.
According to the Essen police, the demonstration was registered by a private individual. However, the main organizer was apparently the “Generation Islam” group, which security experts consider to be part of the pan-Islamist movement “Hizb ut-Tahrir” (HuT) . HuT has been banned in Germany since 2003. The main speaker at the final rally in Essen was the activist Ahmad Tamim, the head of “Generation Islam.” The Islamic scholar Ahmad Omeirate told WAZ that Tamim was “using the Middle East conflict for mobilization and radicalization.”
Mayor Kufen regretted on Saturday morning that “Islamists, anti-democrats and Jew-haters” were allowed to parade through Essen protected by the freedom of assembly guaranteed by the Basic Law: “That is difficult to bear.” The CDU politician, who was the North Rhine-Westphalia state government’s integration officer from 2005 to 2010, called for consequences: “The Office for the Protection of the Constitution must take a closer look at Hizb ut-Tahrir’s splinter and successor groups. Bans must be an option.”
The demonstrators shouted slogans in Arabic and German on Friday evening. Posters condemned the Israeli military operation in Gaza (“Stop the genocide”) after the terrorist attack by the Palestinian Hamas, and one sign read: “German raison d’état calls for the killing of children.” The organizers initially used loudspeakers to remind people of the police requirement that no participant should question Israel’s right to exist. The tip-off was met with loud boos from the crowd.
At the beginning of the march, participants were also asked over loudspeakers to separate men and women. So it happened that most of the female demonstrators marched through the city behind the male participants. They repeatedly shouted “Allahu akbar” (“God is great”) and held up signs calling for the unity of all Muslim believers and the establishment of a caliphate in Germany. Individual demonstrators stuck their right index fingers in the air; This gesture is intended to symbolize belief in the “one God”, but is also seen as a symbol of the terrorist organization “Islamic State”. The design of several black and white banners and flags also resembled depictions of IS.
The Essen police announced on Saturday that they would subsequently analyze the Friday demonstration and examine its “criminal relevance”. It turned out that the motive for a pro-Palestine meeting was only a pretext. Instead, the organizers held a religious event.
How is democracy going in Muslim majority countries? I can help you: Indonesia and Pakistan.
I mean, democracy isn’t doing too well in lots of countries at the moment. India, China, Russia, North Korea, and arguably strugglijng in a large Christian near-theocracy, I can think of.
I absolutely have a problem with fundamentalist Islam, but luckily fundamentalism isn’t ubiquitous. The big problem is where you have the toxic combination of any regious fundamentalism with populist nationalism.
These kind of regimes frequently seem to seem into power where moderate/secular parties have been seen as ineffective or corrupt or both - see how Hamas took over from Fatah/the Palestinian Authority in Gaza.
So again: How is democracy going in Muslim majority countries?
And I’m not claiming that Islam is the only thing threatening democracy. I would not say it’s even the worst threat - but it’s there, not sure why anyone who is interested in a liberal society would deny it. By the way - before you ask, Catholicism is also a threat to liberal society.
How is this relevant for Germany?
It shows that there is a general problem with modern Islam and liberal democratic society. While we have several Organisation in Germany promoting Islam, with rather questionable funding.
The arguement remains absurd. Going with this logic, any problem ina democratic country would be a problem with all democratic countries.
So European countries would have problems with mass shootings, because the US has them. European countries would be commiting massive war crimes because the US and Israel do. Health care would be in shambles everywhere because of the US. All countries would be poor because of the less economically developed Balkan countries and so on.
You cannot say Problem with X1 in place Y is the same as Problem with X2 in place Z. The surrounding conditions make X1 and X2. different.
You misunderstood my logic.
My statement would be more like: a problem occurring in most democratic countries, would be indicative of a systematic problem with democracy.
No it doesn’t! It barely makes a supposition for Indonesia and Pakistan, without proving anything, and it means absolutely nothing for Germany.
Sure, if you think modern Islam goes well with liberal society - I would like you to elaborate.
There’s millions of muslims living in Germany and you’re jumping to conclusions based on a demonstration held by 3000 people and two countries that have nothing in common with Germany.
I base my conclusion on the modern dominant idiological interpretation of Islam. It’s rather anti liberal at it’s core.
Interesting. Would you call it the “Muslim problem” ?
No, I would describe it like I described it, to avoid miscommunication. Why would I use populist language?
You said there was a general problem with Muslims that you saw? If it’s general, and attributable, why would you not call it that? Are there other larger problems that you see with Muslims that you think are even more attributable and deserving of the title?
If you could only read:
I’m explicitly talking about the ideology not the people. Care to explain why is it so important to you to put specific words in my mouth, rather than participate in a conversation - by like stating your own opinion instead of this cheap rhetorical dancing?
Sure, let me redress. You’re saying there’s a problem between Islam and Democracy correct? So what kind of solutions do you think there are to that incompatibility? Is this an Islam problem, or a religion in government problem?
I personally don’t think religion has any place in government. So that would be the more existential issue for me, in terms of compatibility.
I’m saying more explicitly: a problem between modern dominant interpretation of Islam and liberal societies (democracy by proxy). There is nothing inherently antidemocratic in Islam or any other Religion since they are all open to rather liberal interpretations, like shown time and time through out history.
As I wrote elsewhere, one solution would be creating European, more liberal Islam version. But I also won’t claim that I have figured it all out. Recognizing problems, figuring out solutions and implementing them are all different, even so related shoes.
Those are two different things. Problematic for different, related reasons.
Religion does not have to be directly involved in government to act upon society. As an ideology it drives decisions of people - not last through societal pressure on decision maker. Look no further then Poland for an example.
So care to answer my question, for a change:
?
Having some experience with Indonesia: it’s not perfect but the Indonesian democracy is currently more stable less threatened than the US
Are Muslims in Indonesia pushing for a less liberal society? And yes, USA have also a problem with conservative Christianity pushing for a less liberal society. But like I mentioned before - Christianity went though reformation and we have more liberal versions, for most part, peacefully coexist together. While the only (to my knowledge) liberal mosque in Germany closes down due to threads.