The Independent: Extremist Group with Links to Daesh Active in UK
Local Editor
The British "The Independent" newspaper revealed that members of an extremist group banned in Germany for inspiring more than 140 Daesh [Arabic Acronym for the "ISIS"/"ISIL" terrorist group] militants with its "violent" ideology are active in the UK and seeking to recruit followers in Britain's largest cities.
Police launched almost 200 raids across Germany at mosques, offices and homes linked to Die Wahre Religion [DWR] movement, meaning "The True Religion", this week but British security forces remain powerless to stop the same group's activities.
Announcing the prohibition on Tuesday, the German interior minister said members were spreading "hate and anti-constitutional messages, seeing young people radicalized with conspiracy theories".
"After taking part in DWR activities, more than 140 young individuals so far have travelled to Syria or Iraq to join in the fighting by terrorist groups," Dr. Thomas de Maizière said.
"Germany is prepared to defend its democracy. Freedom of religion does not allow systematic interference with our fundamental values."
The interior ministry said the group was stirring up "militant and aggressive attitudes" among its predominantly young audience, including calls to wage the so-called "jihad".
It banned the DWR and all its activities, including the prominent "Lies!" or "Read!" Quran distribution campaign, which has spread to countries including the UK, France, Spain and Brazil, where members at branded stalls hand out hardline translations of the text in busy shopping areas.
But the prohibition extends only to Germany, meaning the DWR's British affiliate can continue its campaigns untroubled, unless the UK adds it to its list of proscribed terrorist organizations.
Members were running a stall in London's busy Oxford Street as recently as Sunday and have posted footage of events in towns and cities including Leicester, Nottingham and Blackburn.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told The Independent that unless the legal step was taken, police were powerless to arrest DWR supporters or stop their events in London.
"It's not a proscribed organization, so if an individual did commit an offence it would be as an individual," a spokesperson said.
"It's not an offence to be a member of the group at the moment in this country."
British security services encountered similar problems with Al-Muhajiroun, a banned British organization also known for handing out extremist material in UK high streets that underwent several name changes in attempts to evade authorities.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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