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Jihadist flags and demands for a caliphate: the Islamists’ parade in the German city of Essen in early November shocked the whole of Europe. German Islamism expert Ahmad A. Omerate (39) explains how and where Muslims radicalize and how they can be stopped.
Mr. Omerate, how did you react when you heard about the demonstration in Essen and other German cities?
Ahmad A. Omeira: Actually, I had already realized in advance that Islamists were mobilizing and that it was not the intention for it to be a standard pro-Palestinian demonstration. It was clear that the initiators of the demonstration were interested in emotionalizing and instrumentalizing the conflict.
How did you recognize that?
The demonstration was promoted on social media by well-known accounts close to the pan-Islamist movement Hizb ut-Tahrir, or Party of Liberation in German.
What were the initiators about?
About the recruitment, mobilization and radicalization of participants and the demand for a caliphate and the destruction of Israel.
Essen police told Blick that the gathering was peaceful and that no violations of the law were observed. How do you see that?
It could not have been peaceful if there had been gender-segregated demonstrations in accordance with Sharia law, smearing Israel as a child murderer and calling for a caliphate. The speaker himself announced that the police had prohibited him in advance from making certain statements. He did it anyway.
Islamic flags were also displayed…
Many of the demonstrators received internal instructions on how to stay under the police radar and therefore slightly changed the banned flags. But symbols that are not prohibited are also problematic. Flags were displayed under which people of other faiths such as Armenians, Assyrians and Yazidis were persecuted and murdered in jihadist circles.
What did the demonstrators actually mean by calling for a caliphate? Do you want to rule the whole world?
There are two interpretations. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution actually assumes that the movement directly aims for a global caliphate. However, in my opinion, they are targeting the Arab-Muslim countries in the Middle East first. They want to build on the former Islamic empire and the glorious era of the early Muslims from the seventh to the ninth centuries. And the current Arab rulers and Israel stand in their way.
Who are these people calling for a caliphate in Germany? Where have they been radicalized?
That is different. Many were born and raised here or converted to Islam and are recruited, exploited and radicalized by Islamic comrades in arms. On the other hand, some migrants bring their ideas with them. This is not simply left to the border with Europe.
Where does radicalization take place among Muslims who grew up in Germany?
On the one hand, in certain mosques, institutions and clubs, of which not much is made public. But a lot is happening on social media, where you can easily share videos and photos from the Gaza Strip and other propaganda. Radicalization takes place gradually in small circles and never overnight.
How great is the danger that conformist Muslims will be taken over by Islamists and become radical themselves?
Especially when it comes to the conflict in the Middle East, many people’s rationality is turned off and it’s all about emotions. If someone is mentally unstable, there is a risk that he or she will come into contact with Islamists and become involved in Islamist activities.
How do you assess the groups active in Germany, such as Generation Islam, Reality Islam or Muslim Interactive?
It is precisely these movements that create an atmosphere online and can mobilize people on the streets. They take advantage of conflicts like the one in the Middle East to spread their propaganda, especially among young people and also among non-Muslims. Many Muslims are seduced by the name of the organization and do not even realize that they are cult-like groups close to the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir movement.
How could this situation arise? Is this because of the uncontrolled immigration of 2015?
People actually came who represented an anti-Semitic worldview. But large waves of immigration had been recorded before, for example when then-Syrian President Hafiz al-Assad massacred people in Hama or during the civil war in Lebanon. Each movement conveyed ideologies that were not publicly recognized. Officials of certain institutions often appear democratic externally but are internally hostile to democracy.
How should politics combat the rise of Islamism?
Simply blocking social media accounts would go a long way to ensuring that the poison no longer reaches the rooms of children and young people unfiltered. Moreover, politicians must finally understand that they cannot fight Islamism with Islamism. Organizations such as the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, Milli Görüs, DITIB or the Islamic Community of Shia Communities in Germany do not represent the interests of Muslims, but primarily themselves and their Islamist agenda.
Should we accept that Islamism is practically part of Europe today?
When the Muslim world warns us about Islamist movements that they have wanted to get rid of for a long time and that are flourishing here in Europe and also have a say in politics, you should not be surprised if Islamism becomes a problem here. Please note, it is not about individual Muslims, but about the influence of civil servants. We have to turn off the tap for them.
How bad is the situation in the rest of Europe?
Compared to, for example, France or Great Britain, Germany is not in such a bad position. Countermeasures are being taken here, even if they are not as strong as one would like from a liberal perspective. The people here are very friendly, especially towards civil servants. In France the struggle did not produce the desired result and in Austria it failed.
The Quran says that Muslims should kill unbelievers. Can there even be a peaceful Islam if Muslims believe that they must abide by this law?
The Quran is structured chronologically. If one verse says one thing and a later verse says the opposite, one should stick with the more recent statement. But the Islamists don’t do that. They put forward exactly what suits them to strengthen their Islamic agenda.
Ahmad A. Omeirate was born in Berlin-Neukölln in 1984, the son of Lebanese refugees from the civil war. He studied economics and Islamic studies and has been working on the topics of interculturality, Islamism, anti-Semitism and clan crime for several years.
Ahmad A. Omeirate was born in Berlin-Neukölln in 1984, the son of Lebanese refugees from the civil war. He studied economics and Islamic studies and has been working on the topics of interculturality, Islamism, anti-Semitism and clan crime for several years.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
