Reply
Wed 15 Jan, 2003 02:49 pm
Germany bans Islamic organization accused of spreading anti-Semitic propaganda
German Interior Minister Otto Schily is seen during a news conference in Berlin on Dec. 16, 2002. Germany's top security officials announced.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BERLIN, Jan. 15 ?- Germany's top law enforcement official outlawed an Islamic organization Wednesday, citing the spread of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel propaganda to explain the third such ban since Sept. 11.
Little is known about the organization and structure of Hizb ut-Tahrir, but German authorities say the group ?- whose name means Liberation party ?- advocates the destruction of Israel and has called for the killing of Jews.
In conjunction with the ban, police raided 30 properties in five of Germany's 16 states, seizing propaganda but making no arrests.
Interior Minister Otto Schily expressed particular concern over the spread of propaganda at universities, noting that several of the Sept. 11 plotters studied in Germany.
''I will not tolerate organizations here engaging in anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli hate propaganda,'' Schily told a news conference. Inciting racial or anti-Semitic hatred is outlawed in Germany.
Describing the group as secretive, Schily said it has been active in Germany distributing leaflets with anti-Semitic messages at mosques, Islamic centers and universities. It also has a German-language magazine and Web site, delivering the same propaganda.
But authorities have no reliable information on how many people in Germany belong to the group, or whether it has links with other Islamic organizations. ''We are following some trails,'' Schily said.
Schily described an event at Berlin's Technical University last October during which a speaker made anti-Semitic remarks and urged the introduction of a caliphate, or strict Islamic state, in Muslim countries.
It remains unclear how successful the group was at recruiting at universities ?- a concern for German authorities since revelations that the Hamburg cell of Sept. 11 plotters posed as ordinary foreign students for years before the deadly mission.
Hizb ut-Tahrir rejects accusations of extremism and says its aim is to restore the ''Islamic way of life'' in the Muslim world. A spokesman for the group in Britain said Germany's action was ''tantamount to thought-policing.''
''We are not against Jews or Christians. We are against the state of Israel,'' Imran Waheed said by telephone. The group ''doesn't believe in the use of violence and armed struggle to achieve its aims.''
The group has been under observation by officials in Germany since at least 2000. In November, federal authorities raided 27 apartments belonging to members of sympathizers across the country on suspicion of founding a radical Islamic organization.
Under anti-terror legislation introduced after Sept. 11, Germany loosened legal protections for religious groups and allowed for the first time outlawing of foreign-based groups. That opened the way for the government to ban the Caliphate State organization in 2001 and the Aachen-based Al-Aqsa organization last November.
The Caliphate State openly calls for the overthrow of Turkey's secular government and its replacement with an Islamic state. German authorities say Al-Aqsa organization posed as a charity to collect money for the radical Islamic movement Hamas.
Hizb ut-Tahrir was formed in Jordan in 1953 by Taqi Eddin al-Nabahani, a Palestinian who died in unclear circumstances in the Palestinian territories in 1978. Egyptian authorities outlawed the group in 1974 after blaming it for an attempted coup.
The current leader is the Palestinian Abdul-Kaddim Zalloum, whose whereabouts are unknown. Schily said he believes the group is based in London but was not certain.
Hizb ut-Tahrir faces strong opposition in former Soviet Central Asia, where it is banned and pursued as an extremist organization.
In Uzbekistan, human rights groups say an estimated 4,000 of the country's 7,000 political prisoners are from Hizb ut-Tahrir, and Tashkent has pushed for western countries to also blacklist the group.
Does anyone buy ut-Tahrir's statement, "we are not against Jews ot Christians?"
What do you think of the action taken against the group? What would you think if the Bush admin. shut down similar groups at our Universities?
"German Universities Breeding Ground For Anti-Semitism."
You got this knowledge from what source?
MSNBC.
I was looking through the International News on my Homepage, and was really surprised to see this--and more surprised that it wasn't reported in any of my American papers.
I thought it was important, carried some interesting issues and wanted feedback.
Had you heard of this event?
Well, Lash, I actually was asking about your title to this thread "German universities breeding ground for anti-semitism".
It's in the news here since it has happened:
" Germany bans Islamist group
Using recently tightened law, German Interior Minister Otto Schily has banned a further Islamic group called Hizb ut-Tahrir as police raided 25 buildings linked to the group across Germany. From Britain, a Hizb spokesman, Imran Waheed, denied that the group was extremist. Schily said the group had been active on German university campuses, using "very anti-Semitic" language against Israel. His ministry added that a Hizb rally at Berlin's Technical University last October was attended by members of Germany's far-right. Hizb ut-Tahrir was founded in Jordan in the 1950s. It's the third group banned in Germany since the September 11th attacks. " (DW-world.de)
Last year's figures for the USA:
"The findings in brief
Strongly anti-Semitic:
17% of Americans
35% of Hispanics
44% of foreign-born Hispanics
20% of Hispanic Americans born in U.S.
35% of African-Americans
3% of U.S. college and university students "
(source:
Anti-Semitism on the Rise in America
I read the article, and the title I chose is what I gleaned as the basic gist.
The article pointed to wide-spread promotion on campuses in Germany of radical Islam, and hate speech against Jews.
Do you think my encapsulation of the article, and resulting title are an issue?
Walter Hinteler wrote:Last year's figures for the USA:
"The findings in brief
Strongly anti-Semitic:
17% of Americans
35% of Hispanics
44% of foreign-born Hispanics
20% of Hispanic Americans born in U.S.
35% of African-Americans
3% of U.S. college and university students "
(source:
Anti-Semitism on the Rise in America
Walter? What's up? I was talking about an article written by MSNBC. Why did you bring up anti-Semitism is America? It certainly would be an interesting subject, but this thread is about the article.
Actually, I can't get that and where the article points "to wide-spread promotion on campuses in Germany of radical Islam, and hate speech against Jews". It speaks about the activities of this islamistic society and the meeting in Berlin. There was a video about this in the various news shows.
I'm bringing this up because I'm strongly opposed to that German universities were a breeding ground for anti-semitism.
"Twenty five people, including three Britons, are currently on trial in Cairo accused of trying to overthrow the Egyptian government and of spreading propaganda for the Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in Egypt but not in Britain." (source: ha'aretz.com)
Walter Hinteler wrote:I'm bringing this up because I'm strongly opposed to that German universities were a breeding ground for anti-semitism.
I'll change it. What would you title the thread?
Well, you may change it to whatever you think is appropriate or just leave it.
How about "German Universities Stamp out Anti-Semitism"?
Really, Lash, the title is not at all descriptive of the content.
Walter Hinteler wrote:I'm bringing this up because I'm strongly opposed to that German universities were a breeding ground for anti-semitism.
CLARIFICATION: I never in my wildest imagination thought this thread or title would be offensive. I thought the German government's response was perfect. I was thinking the major issue was how many events had occurred that merited the German gov's response, and what people thought the response would be here, if our admin. did the same thing. And, why haven't we heard about it in our press?
This could've happened in any country. The fact that it was Germany was a variable, to me.
Most reasonable people are against bigotry, including anti-Semitism, in many countries, including Germany. But although the German government has done very much to eliminate this, that alone does NOT mean that anti-Semitism does not exist in Germany.
Especially since Germany has many foreign students and workers, who harbor all sorts of beliefs.
I would really worry if governments could control the beliefs of citizens and all others in their country, wouldn't you.
'Bout time you got on the boards, FT. Welcome
Governments cannot control peoples' beliefs (and they should not), but they can efficiently control and curb propaganda of hatred. And the German government is one of the most consistent and efficient in Europe in this aspect.
About universities: the situation is much more complicated. Some professors of Arab origin sometimes abuse academic freedoms in order to propagate hatred and bigotry. Activities of one of the accomplices of al-Arian, the former Middle East studies professor from the USF (forgot his name), are the best example. If he was not involved in sponsoring terror, he could have continued spreading hatred for years without being arrested and even fired.
Actually, anti-semitism here in Germany is practised (mostly/ exclusivly) by Germans, not by foreigners.
steissd
I'm acquainted with academic life. The only known anti-semitic propaganda was actually done by a professor (German, got a professorship as well in South Africa) at my former university: he later commited suicied.
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace