Hamburg Mosque Controversy: Schura Promises Action After Pro-Hamas Speaker Incident
Even three weeks after the New Year’s Eve celebration at the Vahdet Mosque in Wilhelmsburg, outrage remains high. The guest speaker was apparently a Hamas sympathizer, as evidenced by his social media posts. The chairman of the Schura, one of the Islamic associations that have signed a contract with the Senate, also attended the celebration. Following ongoing criticism, Schura chairman Fatih Yildiz has now announced that he will react to Islamist-leaning communities in the future and, if necessary, exclude them from the association.
Widespread Criticism of the ‘Conquest of Mecca Festival’
In the Wilhelmsburg industrial area, the ‘Class Hotel’ does not particularly stand out among all the other functional buildings. From the outside, the bright, cuboid building appears inconspicuous, almost boring. However, the consequences of an event that took place there at the end of last year are all the more memorable. On New Year’s Eve, the Vahdet Mosque from St. Georg celebrated the ‘Conquest of Mecca Festival’ there. An event that has since been criticized particularly within the secular-Muslim community.
Ali Ertan Toprak, federal chairman of the Kurdish Community in Germany, is still outraged by the event three weeks later. “It’s not just about faith, but they represent a political ideology from their countries of origin here, and they also see Islamic ideology as a ruling ideology,” says Ali Ertan Toprak.
SPD Member of Parliament Ali Kazanci Attended
A photo taken at the event caused particular indignation. It shows SPD Member of Parliament Ali Kazanci and the chairman of the Hamburg Schura. At the table with them is the guest speaker of the festival, Özkan Yaman. The scholar repeatedly publishes articles in which he expresses sympathy for Hamas. He is also said to be close to “Hüda Par” – a party that emerged from the banned Hezbollah.
Schura Chairman Yildiz Had No Suspicion
Schura chairman Fatih Yildiz in an interview. The chairman of the Hamburg Schura, Fatih Yildiz, has often attended events at the Vahdet Mosque. Like Ali Kazanci, who has distanced himself, he claims not to have known the controversial guest speaker Yaman. “At no point was there any suspicion that I had to look closely again,” he explains. “But in this case, we realized that there were social media posts from the speakers that were questionable.”
Vahdet Mosque Repeatedly Under Criticism
According to Islam expert Eren Güvercin, the Vahdet Mosque repeatedly attracts attention due to controversial invitations. In the past, Said Sahin had also appeared here as an imam. This is incomprehensible to Eren Güvercin, who sharply criticizes the personnel decision, “because he was sentenced to a six-year prison term in Turkey for membership in this banned Kurdish-Islamist Hezbollah.”
Constitutional Protection: “We Have an Eye on That”
When asked, Hamburg’s head of constitutional protection, Torsten Voss, confirmed: There are always Islamists in mosques, including in this mosque. They have an eye on that.
Vahdet Mosque Feels Misunderstood
With regard to the ‘Conquest of Mecca Festival,’ the Vahdet Mosque feels misunderstood. In a statement, it denies any political, divisive, or ideological orientation. Furthermore, it invokes the Basic Law and threatens legal action should anything else be publicly claimed.
Schura Chairman Announces Consequences
Although Schura chairman Yildiz also defends the Vahdet Mosque, in his opinion, their events were within the framework of the Basic Law. However, he also promises to sanction Islamist-leaning communities. This could also include exclusion from the Schura, he explains: “If one does not comply, there will be consequences at the membership level.”
This is not enough for Hourvash Pourkian from the Secular Islam association. She would have liked to see consequences already and a stronger intervention by the Schura chairman: “Outwardly, he acts as if he has a lot of power. But within all these mosques, he is powerless. Because the members are simply against our constitution, against women’s rights, and his hands are simply tied.”
What are the Senate’s Plans?
When asked, the Senate refers to the state treaty with the Islamic religious communities and the underlying values. Such as the liberal, constitutional, and democratic constitution of the community. He had “clearly expressed” this to the Schura.
Participation in Controversial Celebration: Hamburg SPD Man Under Criticism
Hamburg SPD politician Ali Kazanci from Wilhelmsburg is accused of having participated in a controversial event.
Source: https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/umstrittenes-fest-in-hamburger-moschee-zieht-weitere-kreise,vahdet-102.html
