This has never been seen before in Germany: volunteers are building a tent city for a multi-day gathering of around 50,000 Muslims on a former military airfield with the support of specialist companies. 220 tents have already been erected or are still being erected, plus up to 1,000 private tents for families to spend the night in. In addition, there will be strict gender segregation.
Those responsible in the small town of Mendig are expecting costs of around 6 million euros. The hope: to have found a venue in the Eifel for the next few years – until they can perhaps buy their own site. What kind of group is this that dreams of Germany becoming Muslim, but at the same time preaches great loyalty to Germany and appears transparent?
The reason for the meeting: once a year, worshippers come to the general assembly of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat: in Germany, this is a Muslim religious community organised as a public corporation. It is represented in 205 countries. The global head is the fifth caliph, Mirza Masrur Ahmad. He will give speeches over three days and open the assembly, known as Jalsa Salana, by hoisting the Ahmadiyya flag and the German flag. According to his own understanding, the gathering is intended to spiritually enrich the believers and help them to improve themselves. At the first Jalsa Salana in Germany in 1976, 70 participants were counted in a mosque in Hamburg.
However, the Ahmadis have already used the site themselves: in 2017, the Ahmadiyya youth organisation held its annual meeting here with 8,000 participants. The current head of the organisation in Mendig, Ilyas Majok, told t-online: ‘The authorities have certainly had good experiences, but the requirements and conditions are now completely different on this scale.’ An information event was organised for residents of the region. There were no Islamophobic or racist outbursts, the main concern was possible traffic problems. The organisers are offering a shuttle service from the train station, but thousands of vehicles will also be parked on the airfield grounds.
The local police in nearby Mayen are familiar with events with large crowds thanks to the ‘Rock am Ring’ festival and expect few problems. No alcohol is consumed at the meeting, which often fuels aggression. The Ahmadis will provide security from their own ranks, which will also carry out airport-style entry checks at gates, says spokesman Malik. The ranks of the religious community also include believers who work for the police and the domestic intelligence service. Invited guests and registered interested parties from the region will also be admitted to the site.
50.000 Muslime in der Eifel: Zeltstadt für Kalif-Treffen (t-online.de)
