Germany’s domestic intelligence reported in July that the German branch of the Turkish Islamist group Milli Görüs is pushing ahead with the steady expansion of its infrastructure in Germany. According to the 2021 “Constitutional Protection” report for Baden-Württemberg:
July 2022 In accordance with their self-image, the central concern of the IGMG is to impart comprehensive religious knowledge (“ilim”) to their followers, which also relates to the concerns of everyday life. The most important place for acquiring education and knowledge is the mosque. The focus is on youth and educational work. Here the offer ranges from pre-school through basic education to adult education formats, weekend and holiday courses, seminars, lectures, house talks, competitions and discussion events. […] IGMG and EMUG e. V. support the Europe-wide expansion of their infrastructure with regard to the religious education of future generations through their annual fundraising campaign (“Infak Kampanyası”). […] Largely out of the public eye, the IGMG continues to push ahead with the constant expansion of its infrastructure and corresponding teaching and educational offers. The aim is to familiarize children and young people with their own interpretation of Islam and the socio-political goals derived from it. This concern is definitely understood by the actors as a multi-generational project. [Translated with Google Translate]
Read the full report here.
The report identifies the Cologne-based association EMUG (Europäische Moscheebau- und Unterstützungsgemeinschaft e. V.) as connected to Milli Görüs. EMUG is responsible for the administration and construction of hundreds of mosques in Germany and Europe. German Muslim Brotherhood leader Ibrahim El-Zayat is executive director of the EMUG. El-Zayat’s wife is the sister of Mehmet Sabri Erbakan, a former leader of Islamische Gemeinschaft Millî Görüş (IGMG) and nephew of Necmettin Erbakan.
Millî Görüş is a Turkish religious and political movement founded by Necmettin Erbakan, Erdoğan’s political mentor, which has called for an end to the secular regime in Turkey. In Germany, Millî Görüş operates as the Islamische Gemeinschaft Millî Görüş (IGMG), which oversees the work of Millî Görüş chapters in at least 12 European countries and states that it has over 127,000 members worldwide. The GIOR has reported about the German government’s assertion that Turkish President Erdoğan’s AKP party has intensified its relations with Millî Görüş in Germany.