German Muslims invite all faiths to day of prayer against Islamic State

Rasa - More than 2,000 German mosques have invited Germans of all religions to join their Friday prayers to present a united front against the Islamic State.

News ID: 1178

Date: 19 September 2014 - 17:02

RNA - According to Reuters More than 2,000 German mosques have invited Germans of all religions to join their Friday prayers to present a united front against the Islamic State to try to dissuade young Muslims from traveling to fight with radical Islamists in Syria and Iraq.

In a news Conference held in Berlin, the head of the Central Council of Muslims, Aiman Mazyek, said: "We want to make clear terrorists and criminals do not speak in the name of Islam, they have trampled on the commandments of our religion, and that murderers and criminals have no place in our ranks, in our religion."

Germany’s four main Muslim groups announced their plan on Tuesday in response to concerns that German Muslims are joining IS and returning home with radical ideas and combat experience, posing a domestic security threat, the report says.

The groups are also organizing peace rallies across Germany on the same day which senior officials, including Interior Minister de Maiziere and Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit, are expected to attend.

Ali Kizilkaya, a spokesman for the umbrella group behind Friday’s initiative, said the Muslim community needed the support of the rest of German society to stop the radicalization of young Muslims.

“They are our youngsters. Everyone that leaves is not only a loss for Muslims, it’s a loss for the whole society,” he said.

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