Islamic terrorism: the case of Germany

In: Urgent Problems of Europe, Heft 4

Abstract

The likely terrorist capacity of the Muslim community in Germany is examined in relation to the ethnic and religious diversity of this community. Domestic policy measures taken by state structures to prevent and combat Islamic terrorism are shown and their effectiveness is investigated. Due to its domestic politics, Germany too late realized the necessity of integrating the Muslim diaspora into national life and close monitoring of the activities of Islamic organizations present in the country. At the beginning of the new millennium, when the danger of Islamic terrorism became apparent in the West, there was a strong Muslim diaspora in Germany, ethnically diverse, practicing different trends in Islam, functioning in parallel to the life of the state and vulnerable to radicalization. Aware of the need to integrate Muslims, German government entered into a dialogue with Muslim organizations and alliances that displayed interest in it. At the same time, Islamic organizations which were incapable of or not interested in domestic political integration were politically and legally marginalized. The government's course towards radical Islamic associations was significantly tightened during the 2015–2017 immigration crisis, when the country accepted large contingents of Mus-lim refugees and when German citizens became victims of terrorist attacks. There is now a (mostly) well-coordinated, structured fight against Islamism, which includes both preventive and repressive measures and involves all levels of society, ranging from state authorities to civil society organizations.