Ibrahim Abou-Nagie: A Salafist threatening security in Germany
Germany's intelligence agency continues to broadcast warnings
about the threat of militant leaders linked to many terrorist organizations.
A warning was issued regarding Ad-Dinil-Haq (Die Wahre
Religion) Association, which was founded in 2005 by Palestinian-born German
Salafist Ibrahim Abou-Nagie.
The organization was successfully banned in November 2016 by
the German government following the its proven recruitment of jihadists to
fight in Syria and Iraq for the Daesh.
Almost 200 police raids have been carried out at mosques,
offices and homes across Germany after the government banned the group linked
to more than 140 Daesh fighters.
Analysts say the Quran translation distributed by DWR is a
particularly hardline interpretation of the original text.
According to Spiegel, the preacher emigrated from the Gaza
Strip - the area of the Palestinian Territories which lies between Egypt and
Israel - as an 18-year-old to Iserlohn, North Rhine-Westphalia, where he
studied electronic engineering. He gained German citizenship in 1994.
The 52-year-old preacher came to Germany to study, but
instead of completing his studies, he started a business selling self-adhesive
film. Nine years ago he was forced to declare bankruptcy - retroactive tax
demands of 70,000 euros ($US 75,500) ruined him financially.
From then on, he dedicated his life the Salafist scene and to
converting non-Muslims.
In 2003, he is reported to have had an “awakening experience”
and found religion.
The radical preacher also has a prior record with German
authorities. In February 2016, he was handed a probationary sentence for
professional deception.
The father of three was found to have illegally sought and
received €53,000 in welfare payments for his family. He was further found to
have hidden income from the state and to have used charitable donations for his
own private use.
"Under the pretext of promoting Islam, under the pretext
of supposedly harmless distribution of translated versions of the Quran that
took place in pedestrian zones, hate messages were propagated and young people
radicalized," said German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere.
The organization's controversial program called
"Lies!" distributes copies of the Quran in German. But experts say
the translation is a particularly strict version from the original Arabic text.
De Maiziere noted that after participating in the Quran
distribution campaign organized by the group, "140 young people travelled
to Syria and Iraq where they joined the fight with terrorist groups".
The Cologne district court convicted him of professional
social security fraud, saying he had pocketed the benefits but had declined to
declared an income of 50,000 euros from his "Read!" campaign. He was
handed a 13-month suspended sentence, but not forbidden to distribute the Quran
on the streets in Germany.
Abu Nagie was also not arrested during the crackdowns on
Tuesday morning. Investigators believe he may be in Malaysia - supposedly the
next country to be added to the list of nations where Salafists hand out the
Quran for free.