German media is reporting that plans for a new mosque near Munich have been suspended over links to the German Muslim Brotherhood. According to translated reports:
Plans for a new mosque centre near Munich put on hold after allegations of Islamism (See full-text article(s):Münchner Merkur Süddeutsche Zeitung News Agencies – May 6, 2010Munich was to get a “Centre for Islam in Europe – Munich” (ZIEM), which proposed an open, European and German-speaking Islam (see http://www.euro-islam.info/2010/03/19/munich-will-get-a-new-mosque-center). But now the plans by Imam Benjamin Idriz had to be put on hold after allegations that he has close relations to Islamists. A court has ruled that the Islamic community of Imam Idriz was rightly named in a 2007 report by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The Office has monitored Idriz’s phone calls with leaders of the Islamist organizations Milli Görüs (IGMG) and the Islamic Community in Germany (IGD), who are believed to hold close ties with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. The group and their lawyer have announced to take this dispute to the next level of jurisdiction and to fight for their reputation.
The Islamische Gemeinschaft Deutschland (IGD) is considered by the German government to be the representative of the Muslim Brotherhood in Germany. Former IGD President Ibrahim El-Zayat is currently the subject of an on-going German law enforcement investigation, in which he is one of a group of individuals tied to the IGD suspected of forming a criminal association and intending to commit a crime by obtaining funds for its “politico-religious and ultimately Islamist goals. One of the other defendants in the case is Oguz ÜCÜNCÜ, the General-Secretary of Milli Gorus in Germany and a business partner of Mr. El-Zayat who is married to the sister of Mehmet Sabri Erbakan who is in turn the nephew of Necmettin Erbakan, the leader of Turkish Milli Görüs.
Discussion
In our post from yesterday “Munich Mosque Plans Suspended Over Ties To German Muslim Brotherhood”, we made the following statement:
“One of the other defendants in the case is Oguz ÜCÜNCÜ, the General-Secretary of Milli Gorus in Germany and a business partner of Mr. El-Zayat who is married to the sister of an IGMG leader.”
It is more accurately reported as:
“One of the other defendants in the case is Oguz ÜCÜNCÜ, the General-Secretary of Milli Gorus in Germany and a business partner of Mr. El-Zayat who is married to the sister of Mehmet Sabri Erbakan who is in turn the nephew of Necmettin Erbakan, the leader of Turkish Milli Görüs.” Mehmet Sabri Erbakan no longer appears active in Milli Görüs.”