Senate - Danger from links between criminal clans and Islamists
According to the Berlin Office for the Protection of the Constitution, links between criminal members of clans of Arab origin and Islamists are a cause for concern. There are "selective connections" between the Salafist and criminal clan scenes, such as expressions of sympathy via internet channels, visits to Salafist mosques and the use of logistical support, said State Secretary of the Interior Christian Hochgrebe (SPD) on Monday in the parliamentary committee for the protection of the constitution. Hochgrebe only wanted to reveal more specific information on the findings of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in a secret meeting of the committee.
"We definitely see the danger here that two groups hostile to democracy and the rule of law are pooling their activities and resources," said Hochgrebe. The reason for this lies in the "common rejection of democracy and the rule of law by both the Salafist scene and clan crime". The term clan crime is controversial because, according to critics, it stigmatizes and discriminates against people with a migration background solely on the basis of their family affiliation and origin.
Potential threat to democracy
Hochgrebe added: "If the evidence grows stronger, this could well pose a new potential threat to democracy and public safety." It has long been a supra-regional phenomenon with "particular significance", said Hochgrebe. The Conference of German Interior Ministers (IMK) also sees a potential threat from these possible connections and wants to compile the relevant findings. A working group set up in the summer will present its initial findings in spring 2024.
The Berlin public prosecutor's office recently launched an investigation into a known head of a clan of Arab origin on suspicion of incitement to hatred. The man appeared in a video with Salafist preacher Pierre Vogel and compared Hitler to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "I say quite honestly: for me, Adolf Hitler is better than Netanyahu" - even though Hitler was a "mass murderer, a dictator".
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- Christian Hochgrebe, from the SPD, expressed concern in the parliamentary committee for the protection of the constitution about the potential threat posed by the "selective connections" between criminal clans of Arab origin and Islamists.
- Hochgrebe highlighted that both the Salafist scene and clan crime share a common rejection of democracy and the rule of law, making the pooling of their activities and resources a potential danger.
- The Berlin public prosecutor's office is currently investigating a known head of a clan of Arab origin on suspicion of incitement to hatred, following his comparison of Adolf Hitler to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video with a Salafist preacher.
- Hochgrebe mentioned that this phenomenon is a supra-regional issue with "particular significance" and has been recognized as a potential threat by the Conference of German Interior Ministers (IMK), which has set up a working group to compile the relevant findings.
- The Senate should prioritize the protection of democracy and the rule of law by addressing this extremist threat from links between criminal clans and Islamists, ensuring the protection of the constitution and maintaining public safety.
Source: www.stern.de
