Federal Interior Minister takes decisive action against Salafists in Germany
press release
13 March 2013
Federal Minister of the Interior Hans-Peter Friedrich today banned and dissolved the Salafist organizations DawaFFM and Islamische Audios.
Federal Minister of the Interior Hans-Peter Friedrich today banned and dissolved the Salafist organizations DawaFFM and Islamische Audios. He also banned the organization An-Nussrah, part of the Millatu Ibrahim organization dissolved in June 2012. The bans went into effect in the states of Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia in the early morning hours. The residences of 20 persons were searched, the organizations’ assets seized and the organizations’ infrastructure dissolved.
In summer 2012, Federal Minister Friedrich banned the Salafist organization Millatu Ibrahim and launched an investigation of DawaFFM under the law on associations. Extensive evidence was gathered and analysed, revealing important information about the deliberate and anti-constitutional activities of Salafist organizations in Germany.
Speaking about the bans, Federal Minister Friedrich stated:
“The Salafism represented by the organizations banned today is simply incompatible with our free and democratic system. DawaFFM, Islamische Audios and An-Nussrah are aggressively striving to replace democracy in our society with a Salafist system, to replace the rule of law with Sharia. For this reason, the measures taken today also protect the overwhelming majority of Muslims, who want to live in peace. They must not be forced to suffer from conflicts intentionally incited by extremists.”
Taking decisive action against Salafist elements is an expression of our willingness to defend our democracy. Nonetheless, it should always be noted that organization bans represent a serious restriction of basic rights and that the Basic Law requires a comprehensive weighing up of legally protected interests before a ban can be enacted.
In this regard, Federal Minister Friedrich stated:
“Recent history shows where unfettered Salafist radicalization can lead. I am thinking of the first jihadist attack completed on German soil, the attack on US troops at Frankfurt Airport in March 2011. This kind of threat demands a decisive preventive response as well as prosecution in the individual case.”
With their constant, targeted and aggressive indoctrination efforts, the organizations banned today have sought to radicalize others like the attacker at Frankfurt Airport. With their broad range of Internet activities, DawaFFM and Islamische Audios target in particular a young audience which in the virtual world is unprotected against their Salafist propaganda.
Originally published at https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/pressemitteilungen/EN/2013/salafis.html;jsessionid=40C3A37CDF3C33B430C3A9F138005C80.2_cid340
