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German police in major crackdown on Salafist Muslims | German police in major crackdown on Salafist Muslims |
(about 11 hours later) | |
German police have launched nationwide raids targeting ultra-conservative Islamic Salafists, suspected of posing a threat to public order. | German police have launched nationwide raids targeting ultra-conservative Islamic Salafists, suspected of posing a threat to public order. |
Some 1,000 police officers were involved in searches that took place early on Thursday at Salafists' homes and meeting places in seven states. | |
A Salafist group called Millatu Ibrahim, based in the western city of Solingen, has been banned. | A Salafist group called Millatu Ibrahim, based in the western city of Solingen, has been banned. |
The raids follow clashes between police and some Salafists. | The raids follow clashes between police and some Salafists. |
German authorities believe the Salafists want to create a Sunni Islamic caliphate opposed to Western democracy and that some of the group support martyrdom and using violence. | |
Raids took place in Bavaria, Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia, among other states. | |
In one of the raids, police removed items from the home of Salafist preacher Ibrahim Abu Nagie in Cologne. | |
The authorities have been monitoring Salafist campaigns to recruit supporters, including the distribution of free Korans. | The authorities have been monitoring Salafist campaigns to recruit supporters, including the distribution of free Korans. |
There are believed to be about 4,000 active Salafists in Germany, the state-owned broadcaster ARD reports. | There are believed to be about 4,000 active Salafists in Germany, the state-owned broadcaster ARD reports. |
The BBC's Stephen Evans, in Berlin, said that Germany has a track record of violent Islamism, with some of the men who took part in the attacks of 11 September 2001 having worshipped at a Hamburg mosque. | |
But, he adds, most of Germany's Muslims, most of whom are Turkish in origin, shun violence. |
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