Germany apprehensive of growing threat of Salafism

Nahla Abdelmonem

Salafism is on the rise in Germany, giving security agencies new reasons to worry.

This comes amid a series of changes that make it necessary for the authorities to impose strict measures to curb violence and prevent dubious financing for different groups.

Berlin has to keep its eyes widely opened while the number of extremists keeps rising. It also receives an increasing number of those returning from Iraq and Syria. Think tanks affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and backed by Turkey are also making their presence felt across Germany.

Scary statistics

German authorities refused the return of former members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) for a long time.

However, in May 2019, a German court ruled for the return of the children of these former ISIS members. The same court then ruled for the return of former ISIS male and female members.

So far, a third of those who had travelled to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS had returned home.

The German Interior Ministry said a total of 1,060 people had already returned home from the two countries.

There is also an increase in the number of those affiliated to radical Islamist organizations in Germany.

In July this year, the Interior Ministry estimated the number of those linked to extremist Islamist organizations at 26,560.

The ministry also expects the number of those affiliated with ISIS and al-Qaeda to increase in the coming period.

It expressed fears against potential lone-wolf attacks by the same affiliates.

On August 19, an extremist collided with speeding vehicles on a highway, leaving several people injured and causing a state of fear.