Berlin's top candidates "campaign with Islamists"
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Berlin’s CDU has announced it will boycott an election forum at the controversial Neuköllner Begegnungsstätte mosque, accusing rival parties of campaigning alongside Islamist-linked figures. The SPD, Greens, Left and FDP plan to attend.
The event is scheduled to bring together leading candidates Steffen Krach of the SPD, Bettina Jarasch of the Greens, Elif Eralp of the Left and Christoph Meyer of the FDP. The AfD was not invited, while the CDU has rejected the invitation.
The forum was organized by the Rat Berliner Imame (Council of Berlin Imams), a loose association representing around 20 imams from different mosque organizations. FOCUS reports that some members have previously been monitored by the Berliner Verfassungsschutz (Berlin Office for the Protection of the Constitution) because of alleged links to the ideological network surrounding the Muslim Brotherhood.
Christopher Förster, the CDU’s direct candidate in Neukölln, accused the SPD, Greens and Left of “campaigning with Islamists.” He argued that democratic parties should not give public legitimacy to people he considers connected to Islamist movements, describing the decision to participate as “naive and dangerous.”
The Neuköllner Begegnungsstätte (NBS) and its imam Mohamed Taha Sabri reject allegations that the mosque is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. The Rat Berliner Imame has also denied having such links and says it supports Germany’s free democratic constitutional order.
The controversy is partly linked to the mosque’s previous appearance in Berlin Verfassungsschutz reports. The NBS was listed until 2016 as part of a network of associations considered close to the Muslim Brotherhood. After successfully challenging the reference in court, it was removed from subsequent reports. The court nevertheless stated that its ruling did not prevent continued observation by the security authorities.
The dispute has also drawn attention from Green Bundestag member Lamya Kaddor. She recently said she had repeatedly been invited to the NBS but chose not to attend because she carefully examines invitations involving organizations that could use political meetings to demonstrate their connections with politicians.
The Left defended its participation, saying the Rat Berliner Imame had invited the party to discuss Berlin’s future and that it welcomed the opportunity for dialogue with the council and other leading candidates. The Greens and SPD had not responded to FOCUS’s questions about the CDU’s allegations at the time of publication.
The FDP also rejected the CDU’s accusation. FDP Berlin Secretary-General Peter Langer said his party would make clear at the forum that Muslim institutions must consistently confront extremism within their own communities. He dismissed the CDU’s criticism as an attempt to score political points rather than engage directly with those it opposes.
The dispute is expected to continue during the Berlin election campaign, with another event involving Neukölln candidates scheduled at the mosque on Sunday. The CDU says it will boycott that meeting as well, turning the NBS into a major flashpoint in the political battle over how German parties should engage with Muslim organizations accused of Islamist connections.