Paris attacks condemned at German Islam conference

Muslim groups in Germany have condemned the terrorist attacks in Paris at the annual German Islam conference. The meeting came hours before a Muslim-organized solidarity rally in Berlin, which Angela Merkel will attend.

Deutsche Welle, 13 Jan 2015

German Muslim leaders called the terrorist attacks in Paris "despicable", and a crime "against democratic values and, at the same time, Muslim values", in a declaration issued at Tuesday's annual conference. Muslim groups present at the Islam Conference in Berlin strongly condemned last week's terror attacks that killed 17 people, first targeting satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. "Terror does not have any religion", the declaration stated.

Spokesperson Erol Pürlü, who read out the declaration, added that Muslims should not be blamed for the attacks. He said that extremists should not be allowed to divide society and destroy bridges that had been built over decades.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere
chaired the conference

The Central Council of Muslims in Germany organized a community rally for tolerance that is to start this evening in Berlin at 6 p.m. local time (1700 GMT/UTC) under the banner: "Let's be there for each other. Terror: not in our name!"

Government to join Berlin vigil in force

A crowd of thousands is expected to participate. Christian and Jewish representatives will also speak at the rally. German President Joachim Gauck is due to address the vigil at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. Participants are to lay a wreath of colored pens in front of the French embassy in Berlin, a symbol of freedom of expression. Imams are to read verses from the Koran preaching tolerance and peace. Angela Merkel will also join the rally, together with members of her cabinet.

The German chancellor spoke out firmly against the right-wing populist movement PEGIDA, whose name translates as "Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West".

"Xenophobia, racism, extremism have no place in these parts," Merkel said on Tuesday. "We cannot allow radical extremists and terrorists, of any stripe, to foment division in our society."

A record 25,000 marchers had gathered at PEGIDA's demonstration on Monday evening in the eastern German city of Dresden, although anti-PEGIDA protesters outnumbered the right-wingers around the country as a whole. On the same day, the German chancellor had said that "Islam is part of Germany", also thanking leaders of Germany's four-million-strong Muslim community for clearly condemning the terrorist attacks in Paris.

das/msh (AP, epd)

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"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“.   New Tolerance

Look for a softening of finger pointing and an awakening of new tolerance. There will remain many systems for different cultures, as traditions and history are important to sustaining the integrity of culture. So there are many in the Middle East who would follow the prophet and they will continue, but with an increase of awareness. It will be the increase of awareness of what the prophet really wanted all along - unity and tolerance. The angel in the cave instructed him to "unify the tribes and give them the God of Israel." You're going to start seeing a softening of intolerance and the beginning of a new way of being.

Eventually, this will create an acknowledgement that says, "You may not believe the way we believe, but we honor you and your God. We honor our prophet and we will love you according to his teachings. We don't have to agree in order to love." How would you like that? The earth is not going to turn into one belief system. It never will, for Humans don't do that. There must be variety, and there must be the beauty of cultural differences. But the systems will slowly update themselves with increased awareness of the truth of a new kind of balance. So that's the first thing. Watch for these changes, dear ones. ...."