Hamburg
Buschmann on caliphate praise: Absurd opinion not punishable
At the demonstration on April 27, participants in an Islamist demonstration held up, among other things, a poster with the inscription “Caliphate is the solution.” photo
© Axel Heimken/dpa
There was great outrage when Islamists showed the slogan “Caliphate is the solution” at a rally. Today the group is taking to the streets again. How does the Minister of Justice classify the situation?
If Islamists in Germany express themselves positively about the caliphate as a form of rule, this is from the perspective of the Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann is absurd, but not necessarily a case for the judiciary. “Pure expressions of sympathy for a caliphate are something I consider to be politically absurd and absurd,” Buschmann told the German Press Agency.
However, the Federal Constitutional Court stated in essence: As long as an absurd opinion, even one that contradicts the Basic Law, is simply expressed without any attempt being made to eliminate the order of the Basic Law or violate other legal interests, this must be considered part of the intellectual battle of opinions must be endured.
It would be different if a terrorist group or an extremist organization made a phrase like “The caliphate is the solution” their slogan. “We would then ban such an organization or take action against it if the relevant legal requirements were met,” said the FDP politician. This would then also affect their symbols – “but that is not the case today or not yet.”
Another demo announced in Hamburg
At a demonstration on April 27th in Hamburg, signs read “Caliphate is the solution.” Speeches also called for a caliphate as a solution to social problems in Islamic states. The Islamist group Muslim Interaktiv has announced another rally in Hamburg this afternoon, which, according to the police, is subject to strict conditions.
After the demonstration at the end of April, Union MP Christoph de Vries (CDU), among others, called for a change in the law – so that anyone in Germany who publicly calls for the establishment of a caliphate could be punished in the future. The caliphate as a form of rule dates from the time after the death of the Prophet of Islam, Mohammed, in 632 AD; the caliph was both a religious and secular ruler.
From Bushmann’s point of view, the slogan “From the river to the sea” used at some pro-Palestinian rallies should be viewed differently than the publicly expressed enthusiasm for the caliphate. This is a slogan of Hamas, which is banned from operating, said the justice minister. Depending on the circumstances of the individual case, the use of the slogan could be a use of symbols or propaganda from a banned organization – and that would be punishable.