Uproar in Germany over Salafi drive to hand out millions of Qurans and What is happening in the USA?

German officials raised serious concerns Thursday about an ultra-conservative Islamic group’s drive to hand out 25 million copies of the Quran, calling it an abuse of the holy text.

Amid a politically charged debate, some lawmakers however admonished critics to respect freedom of religion.

Volker Kauder, parliamentary group leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, called the free distribution of millions of copies of Islamic scripture by ultra-conservative Salafists a cover for jihadist recruiting.

“I strongly condemn this initiative,” he told German news agency DPA.

The entry below was taken from salafipublications.com 

   Purification Through Tawheed : Mankind’s Greatest Need

Ibn Abil-’Izz (died 792 AH) - may God be pleased with him - said:

“Knowledge of Usool-ud-Deen (the fundamentals of the religion) is the most noble branch of knowledge, since the excellence of a certain type of knowledge depends upon what it is concerned with, and this is the greater Fiqh(understanding) , which is why lmaam Abu Haneefah (died 150AH) – may God be pleased with him – called that which he compiled concerning Usool-ud-Deen: “al-Fiqhul- Akbar” (The Greatest Fiqh). The need of the servants for this knowledge is greater than every other need; and it is the most necessary of all things for them, since there is no life for the hearts, nor any delight, nor any tranquillity, except through knowing their Lord, the One to be worshipped, their Creator – with His Names, His Attributes and His Actions, and that He – along with all that – is more beloved to the person than anything else. So man’s striving is with regards to everything that will draw him nearer to God, to the exclusion of the creation.

However, it is impossible for the minds to come to know and understand all that in detail, so the Most Merciful, the Most Majestic – from His mercy, sent Messengers to teach that and call to it; and to give good news to those who accept their Call and to warn those who reject it. 

“The Quran is being abused here for subversive extremist activities. Muslim groups in Germany are right in distancing themselves from this abuse of religious liberty. And it would very much interest me to know where the money for these activities is coming from.”

Noun

1.

Salafist Group - an Algerian extremist Islamic offshoot of the Armed Islamic Group; now the largest and most active armed terrorist group in Algeria that seeks to overthrow the government; a major source of support and recruitment for al-Qaeda operations in Europe and northern Africa GSPC, Salafast Group for Call and Combat act of terrorism, terrorism, terrorist act - the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear Algeria, Algerie, Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria - a republic in northwestern Africa on the Mediterranean Sea with a population that is predominantly Sunni Muslim; colonized by France in the 19th century but gained autonomy in the early 1960s  Source

A group of Salafists calling itself “The True Religion” is seeking to pass out 25 million German-language copies of the Quran on the streets of Germany, Austria and Switzerland and via the Internet in a bid to convert non-Muslims.

The Central Council of Muslims has criticized the campaign, saying the Quran is the word of God and “not a PR brochure or leaflet that is distributed as a mass product.”

Under public pressure, the publishing house working with the Salafists said Thursday it had stopped printing the books while it reviews its cooperation with the group.

The domestic intelligence service estimates there are about 2,500 Salafists, who espouse an austere form of Sunni Islam, in Germany and says it has them under official observation.more

In the Way of the Prophet

Ideologies and Institutions in Dearborn, Michigan, America’s Muslim Capitol

By Patrick Belton

Grown From a Backroom

Places of worship have not been the sole forum for the conversation regarding the role of religion in the lives of Dearborn’s Muslim community. The debate has extended into non-sectarian Arab organizations, and even into municipal government. Secular Arab organizations, such as the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), founded by Donnie Unis in 1967 and presently led by Ishmael Ahmed, have struggled to find a niche for themselves in a diverse community. ACCESS emerged when a group of young, second-generation Arab Americans, influenced by the war in Vietnam and by contact with the Black Panthers, came together to become more politically involved with the local Arab community. Local mosques initially disparaged the organization as an institutional competitor run by radicals and atheists. On two occasions, ACCESS’s first building was victim to arson.

The first years of ACCESS’s history were characterized by great idealism but little institutional development. According to its current vice president, Hassan Jaber, ACCESS’s founders were “more used to discussing political theory than delivering services.” 

This article appeared in the October 2003 issue of Next American City magazine.

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