Thousands of Muslims gathered in Halle (Saale) last Sunday morning ( June 16) to pray together on the occasion of the Feast of Sacrifice. The location: in the sports stadium in the Halle-Neustadt neighbourhood. Speaking to NIUS, Islamism expert Herrmann demands that “a debate is overdue” on the practice of Islam in Germany’s public sphere.
A video shows thousands of believers gathering on prayer mats and praying to Allah in the middle of the sports stadium. The prayers were held in Arabic. Many of the Muslims wear traditional religious robes – known as abayas or qamis – and prayer caps. One man acts as the prayer leader and leads the prayer.
In response to a NIUS enquiry, the police said: “Around 6,500 people took part in the prayer in the stadium in Halle on Sunday.”
The police explained that the sacrificial prayer was an “event”, not a gathering. “The police therefore have no information about the organisers and promoters.”
According to the Saxony-Anhalt Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Halle is a “regional centre of Salafist activity”. In recent years, preachers propagating a Salafist ideology have occasionally appeared in several mosques.
When asked whether there may have been Islamist actors among those present in the stadium, the Halle police told NIUS: “The police were on site to protect the events, and no personal data was collected on the participants.”
Hundreds of Muslims also gathered on the banks of the Elbe in Dresden at the weekend to pray for sacrifices – the organisation that called for the event is considered a focal point for Islamists in Saxony and is close to the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood.
And the organiser of the Feast of Sacrifice in Halle? The city responded to an enquiry: In Halle, “self-organised celebrations for the Feast of Sacrifice have taken place by various actors.”
Among others, the Muslim mosque association “Islamisches Kulturcenter e.V.” from Halle had called for prayers in the stadium.
A flyer from the Islamic association stated that entry and takbir (praise of Allah) was from 7am. This would be followed later by an Eid celebration in the mosque of the Islamic Cultural Centre from 9 am to 1 pm. For children there would be a henna station, a colouring station, a cake bazaar, an inflatable bouncy castle, face painting and gifts. “Important: bring a prayer mat,” the flyer continues.
The Feast of Sacrifice (“Eid al-Adha”) last Sunday is considered the highlight of the pilgrimage month, the pilgrimage to Mecca (“Hajj”). It is a reminder that Abraham did not have to sacrifice his son Isaac as God had sent him a ram.
The mosque association has been organising large-scale prayer festivals for years, for example to celebrate the Eid.
Islamism expert Sigrid Herrmann told NIUS that there is something conspicuous on the website of the Islamic association. This is because the website of the Islamic Cultural Centre refers to the donation organisation “Islamic Relief”. The aid organisation has been notorious for years for being close to the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood.
As early as 2019, the German government stated that Islamic Relief Germany (IRD) had “significant personnel links to the Muslim Brotherhood or organisations close to it”. The goal of the Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamic theocracy based on Sharia law – they are trying to achieve their extremist goals through legal means.
According to the Saxony-Anhalt constitution protection report, Muslim Brotherhood organisations are generally active throughout the state. In recent years, preachers have occasionally appeared in mosques “propagating the ideological positions of the Muslim Brotherhood.”
Islamism expert Sigrid Herrmann told NIUS that public Islamic mass prayers are “not a new phenomenon” in Germany. They have been taking place for years, but “are hardly ever discussed publicly.” The expert calls for: “A debate on how much Islamic religious practice is still acceptable in public spaces is overdue.”
Herrmann adds: “In Bonn and Frankfurt, for example, there are repeated marches by Shiites – sometimes with irritating self-flagellation and martial chants. Although this is aimed more at their own community, it still has an intimidating effect on other Muslims and the general population.”