Seyran Ateş is a woman and imam in Berlin who lives under police protection because of her ideas. She is now once again shaking the Muslim community with her denunciation of Islamic radicalism in Europe.
Seyran Ateş to his mosque
[social-share align=»right» style=»button» mobile_app=»desktop»]
[social-share align=»center» style=»icon» mobile_app=»mobile»]
Seyran Ateş is the founder and imam of the Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque in Berlin. Her defence of a liberal Islam and her open criticism of religious radicalism have made her a figure loathed by large sections of the German Muslim community. She has returned to the centre of controversy by telling Euronews that there are «a plan to cause unrest, recruit followers and advance the project of Islamising Europe«
She made these statements in relation to the demonstrations by Muslims in Berlin to celebrate the massacres of Druze and Christians in Syria. According to her, these and other mobilisations They are part of a broader strategy to impose a religious ideology incompatible with democratic values.. It is argued that these actions are not mere expressions of protest, but a real threat to democratic coexistence.
Ateş does not question the right to demonstrate or freedom of expression as a fundamental pillar of any democratic society. However, he warns that Tolerance cannot become an open door to fanaticism., nor be used as a shield to protect discourses that aim to destroy the very system that allows them to exist.
According to her, Germany is and must remain a liberal society, open to debate and to a plurality of ideas, even the most controversial. But she insists that there are limits that cannot be ignored.“A liberal society like Germany cannot and will not shut itself off from radical opinions, as long as they do not threaten the constitution.”, he says.“But these groups do threaten him.”With these words, Ateş makes it clear that, in his opinion, The State and civil society cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the spread of a radicalism that uses religious language. to infiltrate public spaces with clearly destabilising intentions.
Ateş's words have generated strong backlash within significant sectors of the Muslim community in Germany. Several imams and religious leaders have criticised her attitude, accusing her of generalising and criminalising the entire community for the actions of a minority.. They believe that their discourse fuels the stigmatisation of Muslims and reinforces Islamophobic narratives.
Some, such as Imam Benjamin Idriz of Bavaria, They have argued that the vast majority of German Muslims reject fanaticism and live peacefully with democratic values. According to these voices, Ateş confuses Islam with Islamism and creates an unjust division within an already stigmatised community. Idriz Condemns the use of the term "Islamisation" and says it is Islamophobia. because it generates more hatred than solutions. .
Despite the criticism and threats, Ateş remains firm. According to her, This is not a critique of religion, but of a totalitarian ideology that masquerades as faith.. And he insists that remaining silent for fear of being misunderstood only benefits those who wish to impose silence and dogma.
Seyran Ateş was born in Istanbul in 1963 into a family of Turkish and Kurdish origin, and moved to Berlin with her family when she was young. From a very early age She became involved in defending the rights of Muslim women., especially those subjected to forced marriages, domestic violence or community pressure.
She studied law and specialised in cases related to gender-based violence and human rights. As early as the 1980s, she began receiving threats from radical Islamist groups, and in 1984 she was the target of an armed attack at a women's advice centre. Since then, she has lived under permanent police protection.
In 2017, he founded the Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque in Berlin, the first liberal mosque in Germany., Open to men and women alike, where segregation by sex is rejected and where LGTBI people are also given a voice.. This groundbreaking move has generated admiration and hatred in equal measure: while some regard it as a necessary pioneer, others… They label her a traitor and an apostate..
Ateş represents a unique figure: A woman, a Muslim imam, who not only questions fundamentalisms but also the silences and complicities within and outside the community.. And he does so every day, with a conviction that forces him to live with a bodyguard.
Similar
A Muslim youth leader from New York calls for martyrdom against the US government
Imam of the Catalan Islamic Congress believes that “Albiol is from the ummah of Muhammad”
The imam who promotes hatred of Jews, Christians and Muslims from Germany
They publish a book to explain that control over mosques in Catalonia is «institutional racism.»
Imam warns that in 40 or 50 years we will be given two options
ERC, PSC and Comuns oppose combating political Islam in the European Parliament.
Azerbaijan expels students who wear Islamic headscarves from school
Sharia law in the US is supported by 75% of Muslims, 41% of atheists and up to 20% of Christians.
France now has a halal meat supply without the need to sacrifice animals facing Mecca.
The United Kingdom gives away a thousand hijabs in six months to immigrants arriving via the Channel
US Muslim politicians train Canadian Muslims under the slogan "From the mosque to the city hall"«
Teacher fired in Austria for denying a Muslim woman a prayer room
Canadian government normalizes Islamic prayer during workday
Lleida bans the burqa except if worn for religious reasons
Italy bans burqa and niqab but only in schools
The Generalitat pays tribute to the racist Abu Bakr al-Turtuxí as an anti-racist icon
A student residence in Scotland imposes Islamic law in common areas
Kazakhstan threatens to close private schools that allow hijab
A Catholic university in Belgium incorporates Islamic chants into the opening mass of the course
A Muslim family in Granada chooses a Catholic school and demands that the courts teach Islam there
Image of the Week
