Faeser expects clarification from Ditib after Taliban appearance
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has strongly criticized the appearance of a high-ranking Taliban official in a mosque in Cologne and called for clarification. "The appearance of the Taliban representative in Cologne is completely unacceptable and must be strongly condemned," the SPD politician told the German Press Agency in Berlin on Saturday. "Nobody should offer radical Islamists a stage in Germany."
The Taliban are responsible for massive human rights violations, Faeser continued. "In Germany, we protect many refugees from Afghanistan from the oppressive rule of the Taliban. That is why Taliban officials have absolutely no place in Germany." The relevant authorities were investigating the case intensively. The umbrella organization Ditib, to which the Cologne mosque belongs, is expected to "fully and very quickly clarify how the appearance in Cologne came about".
The umbrella organization Ditib, to which the mosque belongs, distanced itself from the performance in the house of prayer in the Chorweiler district on Thursday. A cultural association had organized the event, which was announced as religious, and had not adhered to a contractual agreement. The "Afghan Cultural Association Cologne Meschenich" itself declared that it had not been involved in the event and that the association's name had been misused.
According to a spokesperson, the Federal Ministry of the Interior had no prior knowledge of the event. They had taken note of the public statements made by Ditib and would press for further clarification, he told dpa. "Everything else in connection with the appearance is the subject of ongoing investigations."
The Taliban's appearance at the Cologne mosque, led by a high-ranking official, is a clear example of extremism rooted in religion. Faeser's call for clarification from Ditib underlines the need to prevent such incidents, as radical Islamism should not be given a platform in Germany.
Source: www.dpa.com
