«Islamization of Europe» Groups are the starting points of recruitment young people in favor of Daesh

By Shaimaa Herzy

The countries of the European continent are one of the most important sources that provide a human resources to Daesh, and over the past years thousands of Europeans have migrated to the places of control of the terrorist organization in Syria and Iraq.

Daesh used to use those in two tasks, first, in supporting the ranks of his fighters fighting in the Iraqi and Syrian territories and the second was to re-export them back to their countries to carry out terrorist operations.
These “small groups” pursue a number of ways to attract European youth and persuade them to fight in the ranks of Daesh. The most important of these methods is their initial embrace of Islam, and then their intellectual integration with the convictions of the organization.
Islamic groups first emerged in the Arab world, especially in Egypt, and then began to turn to the West, opening channels in European countries, disguised under the guise of defending Muslim minorities.
These groups have taken a more active role in the European grassroots approach and have worked to “Islamize” the European community, or at least restore Islamic identity (according to their views and ideologies) to the Muslims living there.

With the rise of terrorist acts, and the growing threat of Al-Qaeda and Daesh, many armed groups (starting as advocacy groups and then becoming armed) in European countries, which were banned by the governments of these countries and classified as terrorist groups. Which was clear In Germany, France and Belgium.
In Germany, for example, in November of 2016, German police decided to ban three groups that claimed to be a fanatic organization, the most prominent of which was the Din al-Haq (religion of truth) group.

The German police accused the group of
Din al-Haq  of promoting extremism, recruiting Muslim youth and recruiting them to join Daesh, and then sending them to Syria and Iraq to fight with Daesh’s ranks.

Despite Germany’s ban on the activities of  Din al-Haq, the group is still active in Britain.

In November 2016, a London police spokesman said:” The British police can not arrest the supporters of the Din al-Haq group or demand that they cease their activities in London. As it is not a banned organization, and it is not a crime to be a member of this group in Britain.”

Salafists in Europe (with their growing numbers, especially in Germany) seek to influence European society, whether through their own Muslims, or to invite non-Muslims to embrace Islam.

According to a report published by Deutsche Welle in February 2012, “Salafism does not hinder the integration of Muslims in Germany”, the number of German youth who converted to Islam by the Salafist sheiks and their followers in Germany has increased recently.

Pierre Vogel (a boxer who converted to Islam and adopted Salafism) is one of the most prominent cases of the emergence of militants in German media.

Vogel, known as the “Islamic conqueror of Germany”, is known for his reputation for visual media from a boxing player to a Salafist preacher, who calls for embracing Islam and guides new Muslims to faith.

The German police believe that Vogel has an influence on persuading German youth to turn to extremism. This is the Salafi principle espoused by the Salafi preacher.

Extremist groups in Europe are proliferating and are promoting the lie of defending the rights of European Muslims on the grounds that they are a “minority in Europe” as a pretext to attract Muslims there, especially young people.

Militant groups on European lands find an opportunity to expand their base and attract more elements to their ranks. Not only to adopt doctrinal ideas but to turn them into adherents of “jihadist” ideas.

According to a study entitled “Islam in Europe: The Problems of Integration and the Challenges of Terrorism”, the groups of political Islam in Europe are legitimizing the marginalization factors experienced by Muslims there, especially the immigrants, who infiltrate among them and adopt a strong network among them through Islamic organizations , Cultural and research centers and non-governmental organizations. As well as an “independent” network of individuals, preachers, academics, activists and journalists.

At a seminar on ideas promoted by political Islamist groups in Europe, held at the Trends for Research and Consultants Center in cooperation with the European Foundation for Democracy, lecturers stressed that political Islamist groups are good at manipulating religion and promoting “not explicit terrorist” ideas. Fueling feelings of persecution and strengthening the tendency to isolate from the society.