Turkish President Erdogan traveling to Cologne and opened the Central mosque of the DITIB. Germany’s biggest Islam Association is often advised in the criticism. Here are the main facts.
DITIB, the “Turkish-Islamic Union Institute for Religion”, is the largest of mosques-an umbrella Association in Germany. In addition to the Central mosque in Cologne, around 900 more mosques are under the Auspices of the Association. The Association has in Germany around 800,000 members.
The mosque Association, with a direct wire in Turkey
The Compounds in the Turkey are very strong. The Scientific service of the Bundestag maintains a listing of Islamic organizations in Germany: “DITIB is connected in accordance with the articles of Association to the state Bureau of Religious Affairs of Turkey in Ankara (Diyanet).” The Diyanet in the DITIB mosques posted Turkish imams are paid by the respective Turkish consulates-General for the duration of your stay. The Diyanet pretends to be so theologically the guidelines.
Influential backers in Ankara
The Diyanet is a state institution for the administration of religious Affairs in Turkey and directly to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Under the state’s founder Kemal Ataturk in 1924 launched, was the establishment of long for a moderate interpretation of Islam known and in wide Parts of the population estimated. In recent years, the Diyanet has experienced up to that point reserved the function changed and, particularly under Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Islamic-conservative AKP government is a huge appreciation. Today, about 120,000 employees work for the authority, which has its headquarters in Ankara. These are, among other things, for the content of the weekly Friday, of about 85,000 mosques in the country, prayers are responsible. With an annual budget of over one billion euros, the authority has a higher Budget available as Interior or Ministry of foreign Affairs.
The entrance to the Central mosque of the DITIB in Cologne
War folklore and conservative structures
Also because of the influence of the Diyanet, the DITIB is in the past few years, in the criticism. After the invasion of the Turkish army in Northern Syria in January 2018, the head of the Diyanet had called to pray in mosques for the victory of Turkey. In consequence of mosques appeared in the DITIB in Germany, the Videos, the uniformed children of preschool age showed. In addition, the events of the First world war were played in the so-called memorial, apparently, among other things, battles, and martyrs praised.
A Youtube Video from a DITIB mosque in Herford: children toy guns
In the summer of 2017, the DITIB refused, one of the Muslim associations organized a Demonstration in Cologne against Islamic Terror. Back added to this was the internal fight, until the middle of may 2017, threw the whole of the Federal Executive of the youth organisation of the DITIB. The accusation: the Liberal tendencies would be suppressed in the Association.
Authorities see DITIB critical
The internal structures of the DITIB align to internal political events in Turkey, was also in the aftermath of the failed coup attempt in Turkey in the summer of 2016, significantly the imams of the DITIB should have spied in their communities in Germany, followers of the preacher Fethullah Gülen. The attorney General determined against 19 imams. Gülen is made by the Turkish government for the coup attempt. Only a few days ago, then the next negative peak: Like WDR, NDR and the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” reported, the Federal office for the protection of the Constitution (BfV) apparently, the observation of DITIB.
The picture has changed for the Worse
For many years, the DITIB was in the eyes of the German authorities as an important partner in the faith and to the integration issues, and benefited from state support. Through the events of the past years has darkened the Image considerably. In the year 2018, the state funding has been cut of funds in the DITIB drastically. The Association received in the year 2017, around one and a half million euros from the Federal government, in the year 2018, only 300,000 euros.
The DITIB is already long regarded as a model person to contact in issues of integration, will also be during Erdogan’s visit to Cologne this clear: Contrary to one of the DITIB press release of the North Rhine will not participate-Westphalian Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU) at the opening ceremony with the Turkish President. Laschet pointed out several times in the past, international relations are in need of open exchange and critical dialogue. A common opening of DITIB mosque is not difficult to be a but “the appropriate place”.