A gathering on Saturday of Islamists in Hamburg, Germany has stirred considerable attention, drawing over 1,000 participants and sparking reactions across the country’s media and political spheres.
Organizers, who scheduled the rally to coincide with Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit, aimed to collectively voice their opposition to what they perceive as Islamophobic coverage in recent weeks and months.
Deutschland 2024 #hamburg #kalifat pic.twitter.com/rXxOnXrCmY
— Anabel Schunke (@ainyrockstar) April 27, 2024
Despite a notable police presence, images widely shared depict a palpable anti-German sentiment among attendees, though there were no reports of violence or arrests.
Chants declaring Germany a “dictatorship of values” echoed, alongside the familiar refrain of “Allahu Akbar!” resounding in unison.
Islamists march in Hamburg in support of the Islamic Caliphate in Germany. Once successful they’ll establish Sharia and collect Jizya. Even now they are collecting Jizya in the of free benefits and free medical and housing. pic.twitter.com/eiCTCIkvO2
— Imtiaz Mahmood (@ImtiazMadmood) April 27, 2024
Of particular concern, at least one banner advocated for “a caliphate as the solution.” Such a state, led by a caliph considered by the faithful as the political-religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, historically tends toward dictatorship, as evidenced by past examples.
The Hamburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution, among Germany’s 16 state-security agencies, has pinpointed the rally’s organizers as closely linked to the group ‘Muslim Interaktiv,’ which it identifies as a “confirmed extremist movement.” These radical demonstrations coincided with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s European election campaign activities in the same city.
??A march for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate in Germany took place in Hamburg today. pic.twitter.com/QaVn3Nu2Xt
— The Great Investor (@TheGreatInvest2) April 27, 2024
The state-security agency issued a statement saying, “The organizer of this rally is the Islamist group “Muslim Interactive” (MI), which is observed by the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution (LfV) Hamburg as a secure extremist aspiration. … According to the assessment of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, anyone who participates in this rally will be side by side with Islamists.
Elon Musk tweeted on Saturday, “Surely demanding overthrow of the government in Germany is illegal?”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday that there must be “consequences” following the Islamist rally in Hamburg: “It is quite clear that all Islamist activities must be tackled using the possibilities and options of our constitutional state,” Scholz said.
