October 7 Facebook post: Imam refutes allegations

Legal judgment or ruling - October 7 Facebook post: Imam refutes allegations

Imam Mohamed Ibrahim from Munich disagrees with allegations that he commended the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th through a Facebook entry. On Monday, at the Munich District Court, he emphasized, "I would never pursue someone who kills civilians."

Ibrahim filed a rebuttal to a penalty order implicating him for commending and sanctioning criminal acts. Relevant to this is a Facebook article from October 7, 2023, the day of the Hamas attack on Israel. He had articulated at that time, "Everyone has their unique way of celebrating October." Accompanying this, he had placed a smiley sticker.

"Through this, you indicated that you endorsed the kidnapping and homicide of the Hamas in multiple scenarios, suggesting that the terrorist strike was a cause for celebration for some," stated the penalty order, read by Antisemitism Commissioner from the Bavarian Justice, Andreas Franck, in court.

"The killing of more than 1,200 civilians by the terrorist organization Hamas on October 10, 2023, tremendously shocked the German population. Your post which conflicted with this, threatened the public safety of numerous individuals."

Ibrahim, a proponent of a two-state solution in the conflict between Israel and Palestine, claimed he penned this article in the post-afternoon, and was informed only at that point that "the Palestinian resistance had achieved a success against Israel." He thought it was a strictly military action and "that the Palestinians were exercising their rights against the occupation." There are "a variety of groups in Palestine that resist." "If there's an occupation, one can stand up," emphasized Ibrahim and presented a parallel with Ukraine's right to defend itself against Russia.

52-year-old German-Egyptian Ibrahim said he later recalled the Egyptian national holiday on October 6th and contrived this "wordplay" in Arabic. "The reality that I put a jubilant sticker behind it is related to my communication style. I always have a joyous disposition," he mentioned.

He disagreed that there was any promotion of criminal activity: "This post initially attracted no attention and had no impact on public tranquillity." Only after the subsequent debate did it become clear to him that the statement could be interpreted differently from the meaning he had intended. Unfortunately, he erased the post. State Attorney Franck didn't trust the accused's statements. He exclaimed, "I struggle to comprehend you."

Throughout the 30 years Ibrahim has lived in Germany, he has actively promoted integration and interfaith communication. He's been presented with an integration prize in Karlsruhe, co-founded a Muslim-Jewish-Christian cultural center in Wolfsburg, and trained Islamic religious instructors and teachers at the University in Erlangen-Nuremberg. He declared, "This list should demonstrate who I am and my attitude."

The Islamic Center in Munich suspended the cleric after the entry; the Islamic Center's board distanced itself from the post. The situation was comprehended by some as a derision of the Israeli casualties caused by the terrorist organization Hamas, so the Bavarian Justice's Antisemitism Commissioner also brought about the investigation.

Read also:

1. The Munich Local Court is currently dealing with a case involving Imam Mohamed Ibrahim and allegations of commending a Hamas terrorist attack in October 2023, as stated in an October 7 Facebook post.
2. In Bavaria, the prosecution accused Ibrahim of endorsing criminal acts related to the Hamas attack, citing his Facebook post as evidence.
3. Ibrahim, an advocate for a two-state solution in the Israel-Palestine conflict, contends that he was unaware of the terrorist attack at the time of his post, considering it as a military action by the Palestinian resistance.
4. The Hamas terrorist attack resulted in the death of over 1,200 civilians in Israel, causing a significant shocked reaction within the German population, according to Antisemitism Commissioner from the Bavarian Justice, Andreas Franck.
5. The case has sparked controversy in Germany, with Ibrahim's past records of promoting integration and interfaith communication coming under scrutiny amidst accusations of extremism.
6. The Munich Local Court will decide if Ibrahim's post on Facebook can be classified as a form of terrorism promotion or if it was merely a gesture of support for Palestine's right to fight against Israel's occupation.
7. Meanwhile, social media platforms such as Facebook have become a significant tool for spreading extremist content, with various terrorist organizations continuing to utilize these platforms as vehicles for recruiting and executing their nefarious activities in countries like Germany and Palestine.

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