There has been a marked increase in people migrating to Germany from Muslim-majority countries in recent years. Since the events of last New Year's Eve in Cologne, prejudice towards them has also been on the rise, coupled with a surge in Islamophobia. There is a widespread view that Islamic attitudes are not compatible with so-called Western values. Why is this fear so dominant? Hasn′t Islam been a part of Germany for ages?

Esra Ozyurek: Here we seen the fear of the unknown overlaid with racist tendencies. Islamophobia is one aspect of the fear and hatred of what is other. When it comes to the fear of refugees, for instance, I believe Islamophobia is only part of the package. These newcomers are feared and hated simply because they are different. They are vulnerable and they have nowhere else to go.

Muslims have been part of Germany for ages, living peacefully, contributing to German society and the economy. I find it remarkable how, time and again, Islam is depicted as a very recent arrival in Germany, which has caught people by surprise. No dictionary definition exists, either for Islamic values or Western ones. Both are vaguely defined sets of values, which have been seen to mean different things at different times.

As in many other European countries, Islam is one of the religions that is seeing the most growth in Germany. This has been going on for many years and not just through immigration, but by conversion too. Why then do so many Germans still consider Islam alien and threatening?

Ozyurek: I see conversions to Islam as a result of healthy integration and co-existence. As Muslims become better integrated into society, they have more meaningful relations with non-Muslims. Some of these relations lead to conversions. Similarly a larger number of Muslims embrace more secular ways of living. Until the recent refugee conversions, Muslim conversions to Christianity were smaller in number. But there are many more Muslims who have embraced lifestyles where religion plays no role. Germans have been converting to Islam for more than one hundred years. It is only recently that converts to Islam have been seen as a threat. It has to do with how Islam and Muslims are perceived.
 

Despite Islam′s negative image, especially in the media, many Germans do embrace the religion. They often adopt Islamic names, change their lives completely and allow Islam to become part of their identity. What is it, do you think, that attracts them to Islam?

Ozyurek: What I found in my studies – and what I have seen repeatedly in the work of others' – is that almost all conversions to Islam are initiated by a deep and meaningful relationship with a Muslim. This person may be a neighbour, a school friend, a colleague or a partner. What I found really interesting is that the Muslim who is the source of inspiration is not always religious. Most initial encounters take place in non-Islamic places, such as night clubs, bars, student accommodation, but also more neutral places such as schools and workplaces.
Some peoples′ hearts open up to Islam through this interaction. When I asked them what they found attractive about Islam, all I got was a post-conversion narrative. And these narratives have their specific characteristics. People learn how to present these narratives.

They would tell me diverse reasons for their conversion. Some talked about being religious as a Christian but found that it wasn′t embracing enough. For others, Islam was the first religion they had a real encounter with. Yet all religions have the power to touch people's hearts and give them meaning. I concluded that it isn′t really possible to understand why anyone converts to a particular religion. It is just like trying to explain why we fall in love with one person and not with another. We can try to give an explanation, but each attempt would be just as meaningful or meaningless as the next. Indeed, I have also interviewed converts to Judaism – the reasons they gave were really quite similar.

At the moment, we are seeing the rise of right-winged political movements all over Europe. In Germany, the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany, like many other conservative politicians, is repeatedly arguing that Islam cannot be considered as a part of Germany. Besides, adherents to the movement also claim that you cannot be German and a Muslim. What does "German identity" mean these days?

Ozyurek: I guess there′s only one thing we can tell them: it is too late! Islam is an important part of German society, no matter what they want to think. As I have already mentioned, Muslim, German or Western identity – they are all so much more than a single fixed definition. They allow for a multitude of different lifestyles and ideologies and, what′s more, there are so many ways in which they can and do intersect. Down the years, German Muslims have consistently revisited the concept of an authentic German Muslim identity. The imagined constellation has changed over time. During the 1920s, German Muslims saw themselves as being closely related to the German Enlightenment. In the 1930s, with the emergence of National Socialism, they emphasised how important cleanliness was both ideologies. Later in the 1960s and 70s, Sufism seemed to tally with the era′s emphasis on youth culture. There are so many different ways in which what is considered Muslim is also German. The two are in a constant state of intersection and transformation – rather like a kaleidoscope.

In your book, you point out that many East Germans converted to Islam after the collapse of the Berlin Wall. It seems that these people were searching for some kind of new identity and new ideology after the collapse of Communism. To what extent is this true?

Ozyurek: I would not want to give the impression that tens of thousands of East Germans converted to Islam. I have a strong sense that there are more converts in West Germany. But, for the East Germans who converted to Islam soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Islam did give them a new identity that helped them move away from being "Ossies". Interestingly, today there are a good number of Sufi lodges in eastern Germany. But they display a different dynamic to that of the established Sunni communities. They live isolated lives away from the stigmatised Sunni Muslims.

For a couple of years now, hardcore Salafists such as Pierre Vogel, among others, have become the face of German conversion. Some of them are well-known for their extremist views which one finds throughout social media. At the same time, we see many young Muslims cheering for them. Why is this happening and why does the media only focus on this type of convert?

Ozyurek: Most likely because most converts are introverts who are occupied with their own spiritual growth. I have met hundreds of converts and there′s nothing sensational about them. They spend most of their time with themselves, with reading, learning and reflecting. A handful of others like Pierre Vogel are attractive for many reasons. Firstly, a great part of the Islamic scene in Germany is still in Turkish or Arabic.Young Muslims growing up in Germany don′t feel any connection with imams who are sent from Turkey. Many find these communities old, divorced from their issues and too strict about rules without explaining why. Pierre Vogel talks German, he has a good grasp of German youth culture and he is always on the Internet. The Salafist movement he represents is of course exclusive in many regards, but it is surprisingly open to Muslims coming from all social backgrounds. It is non-hierarchical, accepting of people who embrace their basic principles and presents a very clear world view.

How will Muslims, be they migrants or converts, continue to transform German society in the years to come?
Ozyurek: The post-World War II Germany that exists today has been heavily shaped by Muslims. Muslims rebuilt the war-torn country and today they are an indispensable part of the urban culture, in particular. Many aspects of youth culture in Germany – fashion, food, music and many others – have been heavily shaped by those Muslims who arrived in Germany from the 1960s onwards. It is impossible to imagine major German cities without practising and non-practising Muslims. The Muslim communities will continue to be subject to multiple influences, global and local, as will German society. At this point I do not expect a dramatic change. Despite what the right-wing politicians say, the presence of Muslims in Germany has already achieved a more or less happy equilibrium. Germany is already part Muslim, Muslims are already German.

Interview conducted by Emran Feroz

Courtesy: Qantara.de

It is 26 February 2016 when 15-year-old Safia pulls out a knife at Hanover Central Station and stabs a police officer in the neck. He survives, but is badly injured. Two months previously, the secondary school student had flown to Istanbul to join the "Islamic State". Before she was able to cross the border to Syria, her mother brought her back to Hanover. There are videos online of Safia the primary school child sitting next to the Salafist preacher Pierre Vogel, reciting Koran suras. Wearing a hijab with not a single hair visible – as an eight-year-old. Her mother brought her up that way.

On 16 April, a bomb explodes in front of a Sikh temple in Essen. During a wedding celebration. A priest and two guests are injured. The two perpetrators are 16 years old. One of them is already being watched by the state security agency, he disseminates Islamist propaganda on Facebook, calls himself "Kuffar Killer" – "Murderer of Infidels". He has a police record for bodily harm and burglary. His accomplice had taken part in Koran distribution activities organised by Islamists.

These are just the most recent examples of German youngsters who have gone off the rails and ended up in a violent Islamist milieu. The German intelligence service estimates that more than 8,600 Muslims adhere to theSalafist movement. A tiny minority, in view of the four million Muslims in the nation as a whole. But a figure that's constantly on the rise. Five years ago, there were fewer than 4,000 known members of this grouping. Some 800 of them left Germany and went as jihadists to Syria, 130 were killed, 20 of those in suicide attacks, 260 have returned.
Salafists canvass in front of schools, in youth clubs, online. A particularly eager campaigner in this regard is the convert Pierre Vogel, who tours towns and cities as an open-air preacher and explains his brand of Islam in hundreds of YouTube videos.

In the clutches of the Salafists
Nevertheless the question remains, why so many young people end up in the clutches of the Salafists. And: how can they be prevented from doing this?

There are many answers to the first question. "Potential answers," says Michael Kiefer. He is a scholar of Islam at the University of Osnabruck and is currently trying to find out, on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Youth, why youngsters are being radicalised. Kiefer and a colleague are conducting interviews with Islamists, their acquaintances, friends, siblings, parents.

For Michael Kiefer, Salafist groups are a collection point for the insecure, for those without opportunities, for those who feel marginalised, who don't get along at school or with their families, who are caught up in a crisis of identity. The Salafists not only lure them in with religious material, but also with the sense of being important, or part of something big – and better than the others.

On the other hand, Kiefer says, those who are radicalised despite having a good education are often motivated by a sense of righteousness, convinced that Muslims are the victims of international policy and that one must fight for their interests. It is possible that Safia falls into this category.

Salafists are fundamental Muslims aiming to establish a theocracy. For them, only Sharia law is applicable, not the constitution. All the questions of human coexistence are dealt with by the Koran and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. Those who follow this code will be rewarded with paradise, while hell awaits the others.

This is not to say that all Salafists are terrorists carrying out attacks in the name of Islam or joining the Jihad in Syria. There are Salafists who simply want to lead a godly life, there are those who strive for an Islamic state, but who reject violence. But: all those who have drifted into the radical Islamist milieu had previous contact with Salafist groups.

Many of those who join the Salafists lack basic religious awareness. Salafism lures them in with simple rules, dividing up the world into good and evil. There are however still huge gaps in our knowledge of how the milieu is composed, says Kiefer. Germany had for a long time neglected to carry out any relevant research or prevention work, he adds. Most of the funds were channelled into the security agencies. That has now changed. In 2015, the Federal Ministry for Youth spent 5.8 million Euros on preventive measures against violent Islamism. That figure is set to increase to 7.5 million Euros this year.
 

Prevention networks against Islamism
Much has been done, but there is still a lack of any nationwide programmes. Several states took too long to start building up preventive networks. Much of it is still uncoordinated; there is no overall strategy or mutual exchange. There are numerous individual projects, most in urban areas, very few in rural areas – although youngsters are being radicalised there too. What is working and what is not? This is still to be clarified. Therefore, the second question – how to protect youngsters from Islamism? – still remains an open one.

Michael Kiefer can at least set the direction. "Prevention," he says, "must begin early and everyone has to work together: teachers, parents, social workers, imams, sports coaches. They all have to talk to each other, as soon as they notice something about a young person. This response must become institutionalised."

One who does start early is Nadim Gleitsmann. He works at Ufuq (Arabic for 'Horizon'), a Berlin association that explains Salafism to teachers and youth workers nationwide and discusses Islam and democracy with young people in workshops. Gleitsmann works in Hamburg, attending both vocational colleges and secondary schools, talking to both eighth-graders and those about to graduate from school. He comes when the teachers no longer know how to help.

When students insult girls who don't wear headscarves, calling them infidels, when they praise Osama bin Laden as a hero, or describe the Charlie Hebdo attackers as "brothers of honour". What is merely provocation and what is conviction? Gleitsmann talks to the students about Islam, Islamism and Islamophobia. He shows short films in which theologians explain how a term like "jihad" should really be understood. The students who spread radical views must be enticed away from their ringleader role, says Gleitsmann, who is himself a Muslim and former student of Islamic studies. The aim is to immunise the youngsters against the Salafist ideology. To do this, it is not imperative to talk about religion, but to focus on the question: how do we want to live?

The Federal Agency for Civic Education is also active in Islamism prevention work. It has for several months focused on YouTube videos. Its information campaign is called "Begriffswelten Islam" (The Terminology of Islam). In it, scholars of Islam explain the meaning of a Caliphate, for example. In this way, youngsters are being provided with something to counter the Salafist interpretation of Islam. To ensure the material finds its way to the young, the videos are presented by YouTube stars like LeFloid. The number of clicks – 130,000 – is promising.
The agency also supports the work of Patrick Frankenberger. The political scientist is project leader for Islamism on the Internet at Jugendschutz.net. It is his job to cleanse the Internet of Islamist propaganda, including the horrific videos posted by "Islamic State". He sees videos on an almost daily basis that show people being tortured, beheaded, burned and shot at point blank range. Sometimes, as if the horror were not enough, by 12-year-old boys.

The intention is to foment hatred
The IS videos are doing the rounds on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and in WhatsApp groups. And this means they are finding their way into the playgrounds of German schools. Elaborately staged, with a dramatic composition intended to horrify, the edits rhythmically timed with the music. As though made by professionals, says Frankenberger. The "justification" for the executions is supplied along with the videos; these were infidels, Jewish spies or the soldiers of Assad. The videos are horrifying to many of the youngsters, says Frankenberger. "But they can act as a pull to the potentially violent ones."
 

The Islamists' propaganda is not limited to gruesome videos. Photos are taken out of context: for example, images showing earthquake victims from Tibet, with the accompanying caption – "Here we see how Muslims in Burma are being slaughtered." The intention is to foment hatred. In many videos, the militant jihad is presented as a great adventure, the fighters from Germany cast as heroes, the "Islamic State" portrayed as nothing less than a paradise nation.

The Islamists' Internet propaganda is primarily aimed at young people. They publish videos of digitally manipulated computer games, for example Call of Duty is Call of Jihad, the player shown fights as a jihadist and carries out attacks. Or SpongeBob calls for the destruction of Israel.

Frankenberger and his colleagues found Islamist propaganda in over a thousand cases. They then approach the platform operators to get the films deleted. Anything that contravenes youth media protection laws must be deleted and this includes incitement, the depiction of violence and the glorification of war.

Thomas Mucke, an educator and political scientist, works with those who have slipped through the still-wide meshing of the prevention net. With Syria returnees. Mucke is one of the directors of the Berlin Violence Prevention Network (VPN). As well as running advice centres in several states, VPN also focuses on "de-radicalisation within the penal system", in prisons in Berlin, Hessen and Lower Saxony among others.

"Those who return are unsure," says Mucke. They asked questions: "In Syria Muslims kill Muslims. Was that Islamic, what I experienced there?" One returnee from Syria uttered the sentence "I'd rather be in prison in Germany than free in Syria."

The doubts of the returnees provide Mucke with starting points for his work. "We help them to reactivate their minds," he says. "In Islamist circles only one thing counts: follow, don't ask. They've surrendered their sense of reason."

De-radicalisation in prison as preventive work
He meets up with them once a week, the easier cases in a group, the tougher cases in one-to-one sessions. Muslim colleagues do the preparatory work in advance. They attempt to establish trust. They talk about religion, demonstrate that the Islamists' point of view is not the only one and not the right one. "You have to make it clear to them that Islam has its place in society," says Mucke, "but Islamism does not." Mucke and his colleagues also work with the youngsters after they've been released, helping them to find an apprenticeship. De-radicalisation in prison is also preventive work. The danger of relapse is always there, as prisons have for a long while been the favoured recruiting ground of radical Salafists.

Prevention can give no guarantees. And it requires time. This was most evident recently in North Rhine-Westphalia: one of the two bombers from Essen had been involved in a voluntary opt-out programme for more than a year. A call to the Interior Ministry yields the information that the state government nevertheless plans to continue developing the programme. After all, what's the alternative?

The example of the most prominent German Salafist preacher Pierre Vogel shows just how complex it is to gauge the dynamic within the milieu. Even though Vogel routinely distances himself from terrorism in his public appearances – for many young people he is a route into Islamism. In view of this, it seems bizarre that he is himself now considered a target by Islamists: in the latest edition of the English-language IS propaganda magazine he described as an apostate. The title of the article: ″Kill the imam of the infidels of the West″. Vogel had described the attacks in Paris and Brussels as a sin. As he routinely does.

Arnfried Schenk

© Die Zeit 2016

Translated from the German by Nina Coon

Courtesy: qantara.de