Horror at salafist violence after provocations
29 police officers were injured, two suffered serious injuries from knife wounds. 109 perpetrators of violence arrested, police say. North rhine-westphalia’s interior minister ralf jager (SPD) reacted with horror.
Already on 1. On may 1, violent attacks occurred in solingen on the fringes of a pro-NRW demonstration, injuring three police officers. The clashes have become more intense since salafists began distributing free korans nationwide a few weeks ago.
The officers seriously injured in bonn were operated on in hospital. However, there was no danger to life, it said. A 25-year-old man from hesse was investigated by the public prosecutor’s office for an attempted homicide.
The less than 30 pro-NRW people were opposed by 500 to 600 counter-demonstrators, according to police reports. Police parked squad cars between the two sides to defuse the situation, a spokesman reported. The situation escalated when pro-NRW supporters again showed islamophobic cartoons. After the massive attacks and stone throwing the event was ended after about 45 minutes. Even before the demonstration, a baton, stones and a slingshot had been seized.
State interior minister jager said in dusseldorf on sunday: "the systematic provocations of the right-wing extremists of pro NRW with islamophobic caricatures in no way justify these outrages."And: "these were not spontaneous attacks, because the salafists had previously mobilized intensively nationwide for their action." he in turn accused the right-wing extremists of pro NRW of deliberately stirring up hatred against four million muslims who lived peacefully in germany and who distanced themselves from salafists. "Pro NRW is dangerous for our democracy."
Scuffles also broke out in berlin between salafists and supporters of the right-wing populist party pro deutschland when the radical muslims handed out korans. The police issued several expulsions according to their own statements. Contrary to initial reports, however, there were no injuries.
Caricatures of the prophet mohammed are a particular provocation for muslims, because any pictorial representation of mohammed is forbidden in islam. The publication of mohammed cartoons in denmark in 2005 had already led to protests, some of them violent, by muslims all over the world.
Salafism is, according to the intelligence agency for the protection of the constitution, a gathering place for islamists who are prepared to use violence. He has around 2500 followers in germany. Salafists represent a backward-looking original islam and reject any theological modernization. They advocate discriminatory positions against women and insist on their full-face veil.
Federal interior minister hans-peter friedrich (CSU) considers salafism a nucleus of islamist terror in germany. "His fanatical followers pose a particular threat to the security of germany," he told the newspaper bild am sonntag. "The salafists provide the ideological basis for many who then become violent."
