The German capital is home to a growing number of followers of radical Islam and members of the extreme right, according to a new report.
The total number of Salafists in Berlin rose to 950 from 840 the previous year, Der Tagesspiegel reported Wednesday, citing an as-yet-unpublished report by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution Berlin.
The growing numbers in Berlin mirror a nationwide pattern that saw the number of Salafists — who espouse a hard-line interpretation of Islam, and in some cases embrace jihadist ideology — in Germany edge up to 10,800 in 2017 compared to 9,700 the previous year, according to an interior ministry report released last year.
In its report, the ministry describes Germany’s Salafism scene as “the main recruiting source for jihad” despite the fact that “political Salafists usually refrain from using violence.” It also noted that analysis of recent terror attacks in Germany and in Europe shows that “jihadist activities are very often preceded by Salafist radicalization.” [POLITICO] Read more
Germany’s Salafist Muslim children being radicalized faster and younger: intelligence report
Germany faces a growing threat from children raised in Salafist families, according to the country’s domestic intelligence service.
A recent report issued by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), warned that these children are “educated from birth with an extremist world view that legitimizes violence against others and degrades those who aren’t part of their group.”
The radicalization of youngsters is happening faster and earlier, according to Hans-Georg Maassen, the head of Germany’s BfV.
Frank Jansen, a journalist with Berlin’s centrist paper Der Tagesspiegel, and an expert on extremism in Germany, notes that most of the Salafist minors in the BfV report are younger than eight-years-old. According to Jansen, the report calls these children ticking time bombs. [FOX News] Read more
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