Instead of Protest: Raising Awareness in Mosques

Muslims living in Germany have been criticised for not distancing themselves visibly enough from Islamist terrorism. Diet Simon discussed the issue with Ogus Ücüncü, secretary-general of Germany largest Muslim organisation, Milli Görüs.

Organisations of Muslims in Germany have regularly spoken out against Islamic terrorism, stressing that it is banned by Islam. Only recently have the Central Council for Muslims in Germany and the Islamic Council of Germany, the two major umbrella organisations of Muslims in Germany, issued a statement in which they distance themselves from terror and its sympathizers.

But Muslims have been conspicuously absent in demonstrations against terrorism. In France, for instance, Muslims were better organised and hence more present.

Ogus Ücüncü who took office in 2003, after Mehmet Sabri Erbakan, nephew of Turkey's former prime minister, Necmettin Erbakan, resigned, is known to represent a more liberal approach than his predecessor.

What is your stance on terrorist attacks, as e.g. those of Madrid and New York?

Ogus Ücüncü: We condemned the terrorist attacks of 11 March as we did on 11 September, and we condemned any other act of terror. So as a Muslim organisation we did our duty and we condemned the terror on the very first day of any such attack.

Since the attacks of 11 September and 11 March the gap is growing between Muslims and Christians in Europe. Do see this happening in Germany as well?

Ücüncü: There is a development of distrust and I think that the terrorists were successful in one aspect, namely that people are now feeling uncomfortable because they are not sure whether to suspect their Muslim neighbour or not. That's one of the main problems we have to tackle in our community.

How are you addressing that problem?

Ücüncü: Well, we are addressing that problem by opening our infrastructure and by opening our facilities to the people in general in order to show them that they have nothing to fear from us. We want to give them trust so that people think, okay, I have known this person for forty years and I know there is nothing dangerous to expect of him.

Don't you think this a too big a tide for you to handle?

Ücüncü: No, no. But our problem is that having lived here together for forty years doesn't necessarily mean that we know each other very well. But we don't want to give up the hope that there is a chance to build up trust again. I just like to see it as an opportunity to get out of the struggle.

Why are there no Muslim demonstrations against terror? Why don't we see this revulsion of terror on the streets? Why are there so few demonstrations?

Ücüncü: The fact that people aren't demonstrating doesn't meant that they don't have a strong opinion about the terror attacks. But what we did as an Islamic organisation is more than just demonstrating. We have been using our infrastructure in order to condemn the terrorist attacks and violence in general, but also to inform our people to not give any kind of support or sympathy to terrorists.

There are, for instance 510 mosques in our organisation. And at the Friday prayer I talk to about 100,000 people and they are listening to me. I would not be able to get 100,000 people out on the street.

But another reason for not demonstrating out on the street is because we didn't want to have our activities seen as any kind of provocation.