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.
I think that there is a concerted effort by right wing Zionist media and politicians to discredit support for Palestine by smearing all protestors as Islamists and anti semites.
Okay so question: What do y’all think a caliphate is? While it’s not something I’d expect most Europeans to support given the lack of separation of church and state and all that, “caliphate” is (to simplify) a state ruled by the laws of Islam, which while again aren’t things most Europeans support (the lack of LGBT rights coming to mind) it’s not like these people are trying to recreate ISIS.
A Caliphate would not be compatible with our Constitution. Also the organisation behind the Demonstration is banned in Germany. The reasons where the following (excerpt from an archived website from the Constitution Protection Service Brandenburg (translated with DeepL):
"Hizb ut-Tahrir not only denies the right of the state of Israel to exist, but also calls for the destruction of Israel and the killing of Jews. The organisation is thus massively opposed to the idea of international understanding; it is also unacceptable that it approves of the use of violence to achieve political goals.
Yeah that makes sense.
Let’s not pretend that religious stewardship of any state has ever not resulted in human rights abuses. The idea of a caliphate in Germany should rightly horrify the German people. Fundamentalist Islam (or Christianity) can easily cite scripture to justify child brides, executions, and domestic violence.
So let’s flip the question; why aren’t you horrified at the idea of a caliphate in Germany, and seemingly hand waving the atrocious results it would bring?
I’m not handwaving it; more saying that it seems like everyone in the comments is acting like they wanna kill all non-Muslims or something, with stuff like “this is what happens when you invite Muslims into your country” and shit.
The more I see who is “protesting” for Palestine the more I understand why Israel and Egypt are doing what they are doing.
Whats Egypt doing? Is it also a genocide?
There is no genocide. Egypt closed their border with Gaza and tells the people to fuck off because they are convinced they are terrorists. And Palestines “friends” only give Israel shit because they know Egypt is right.
So you disagree with the people from the UN that called it a “textbook case of genocide”?
Isn’t Egypt the only border accepting evacuees? I missed it, is Israel evacuating the injured Palestinian civilians somewhere internally now? Who are Palestine’s “friends”, are they helping the humanitarian situation in some way?One dumbass calling it that does not mean “the UN” but nice try.
What about these UN guys? Them Too?
“We remain convinced that the Palestinian people are at grave risk of genocide,” the group of experts, made up of seven U.N. special rapporteurs, said in a statement.
Nice try? Huh?
Also not “the UN”. It is not a genocide no matter how many supposed authorities you wish to pull out of your hat who share the same opinion as you.
If you read the article you would see that it is merely used as a pretext. As Germany initially banned all demonstrations in support for Palestinians it is no suprise that extremist groups could undermine the cause, as moderates werent willing to get beaten up by cops.
This is an expected effect that was deliberately caused by the German government. They full well knew before that banning moderate demonstrations will lead to radicals taking over. And it seems to be part of a strategy to rile up hate for muslims in general in conjunction with plans to step up deportations and limit access to refugee granted under human rights.
Now that’s a fun conspiracy theory to completely ignore the kind of people who protest against Israel.
And no one gets “beaten up” by the police at these protests. In fact the police had to establish protected zones for journalists to shield them from the “peace” protestors.
Now that’s a fun conspiracy theory to completely ignore the kind of people who protest against Israel.
So you are claiming that repression of protests does not lead to radicalization? So all of the effects observed at G20 in Hamburg, the Arab spring, the civil rights movement in the US, all that didn’t happen to you?
And no one gets “beaten up” by the police at these protests.
Except yes they were and there is plenty of videos online. Fun fact on the side. The Berlin police in Germany is currently facing criticism for violently attacking a peaceful climate protest too, where a protestor was smacked on the pavement and dragged away while being unconscious.
So you are claiming that repression of protests does not lead to radicalization? So all of the effects observed at G20 in Hamburg, the Arab spring, the civil rights movement in the US, all that didn’t happen to you?
A complete nonsense connection you are trying to make here. German gov supposedly prohibiting pro terrorist demonstrations so only those would attend them? While at the same time having to create protected zones where journalists can report on the protests without getting attacked by the “peaceful” activists demanding a caliphate?
We have eyes, you know? And everyone sees what is going on.
