German Muslims Speak Out After Berlin Terror Attack

A deadly terrorist attack struck Berlin, Germany, during a Pride celebration called Christopher Street Day (CSD) late on a Saturday night. Security forces shot and killed the attacker, a 21-year-old man named Abdul B., the following evening. Investigators believe he was radicalized and had ties to the 'Islamic State' terror group. The attack shocked many people across Germany and sparked a wide debate about Islamist extremism and how Muslim communities should respond.

Muslim organizations across Germany quickly spoke out after the attack. The Council of Berlin Imams released a statement about twelve hours after the attack, saying it was shocked and deeply troubled by what had happened. The Council expressed support for the victims and their families, and thanked the emergency workers who responded. It said that hatred and hostility toward others can lead to terrible outcomes.

Two days later, after investigators confirmed the attacker's Islamist background, the Council released a second, more detailed statement. It said that religiously motivated extremism is a real threat to society. The statement stressed that terror, hatred, and violence have no religious legitimacy. It added that anyone who uses Islam to commit violence is acting against the true principles of the religion.

The Council also specifically condemned all violence against queer people and other minorities in society. Experts noted that directly mentioning queer people was unusual for this kind of statement. The Council pointed out that radicalization rarely happens overnight but usually builds slowly, often driven by content found online and on social media. It said reaching young people early with guidance and a sense of belonging must be a top priority.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim community in the Berlin neighborhood of Charlottenburg also responded to the attack. This group belongs to a reform movement within Islam that is more than a century old. Because of their beliefs, they have sometimes faced rejection and even persecution from Islamists. After the attack, they invited the public to dialogue events and an open Friday prayer focused on the topic of Islamism.

Other Muslim leaders across Germany also spoke out strongly against the attack. Burhan Kesici, chairman of the Islamic Council for Germany, condemned it and said that Muslims in Germany stand for peace. The Central Council of Muslims in Germany described itself as deeply shaken and condemned all forms of violence and extremism. It stated that no one should face violence because of their sexual orientation.

Some experts say Muslim organizations need to do more than simply say violence has nothing to do with Islam. Professor Mouhanad Khorchide, a religious scholar at the University of Münster, said Islamists actually base their arguments on Islamic sources. Because of that, he believes Muslim communities need to engage seriously and critically with the ideas behind Islamist ideology. Only by doing so, he argues, can they weaken its appeal over time.

Professor Khorchide also noted that many statements from Muslim groups avoided mentioning the CSD or the queer context of the attack at all. He said some imams may hesitate to fully distance themselves from Islamism because they hold conservative personal views on topics like gender and sexuality. Even so, he argued, they must be willing to reflect on those views honestly and openly. A truly credible Muslim voice, he said, does not downplay or avoid difficult problems.

Eren Güvercin, a leader of the Alhambra Society — a small group that supports a more open and pluralistic Islam — was even more direct in his criticism. He said many Muslim leaders made a deliberate decision not to name the true motive behind the attack, which he described as Islamist hostility toward queer people. He argued that people are often willing to clearly name the reasons behind far-right attacks but are far less willing to do the same when an attacker is motivated by Islamist ideology. Without honest conversations about extremism inside Muslim communities, he warned, young people will keep turning to Islamist influencers online for guidance instead.