Berlin’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), are pointing the blame at Gulf counties who they accuse of funding religious groups, mosques, conversion groups and hardline imams.
A report drafted by the agencies noted that missionary groups including the Sheikh Eid Bin Mohammad al-Thani Charitable Association and the Saudi Muslim World League were also a part of a "long-running strategy to exert influence" by Gulf nations. The report also named the Kuwaiti Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS), an NGO banned by Moscow and Washington for alleged ties to Al-Qaeda.
The Belfast Telegraph quoted the report, saying the named organizations are "closely connected with government offices in their home countries."
RIHS and the Sheikh Eid association have denied the allegations, as well as Saudi ambassador Awwas Alawwad, who has said that the kingdom has "no connection with German Salafism" and does not export ministers or build mosques.
The report was leaked weeks after Berlin banned Die Wahre Religion (for The True Religion), a group that claims to spread its style of religion "in a modern form and with the help of new media."
After raiding 190 of the group’s offices in 60 west German cities, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told reporters in Berlin, "The translations of the Quran are being distributed along with messages of hatred and unconstitutional ideologies…Teenagers are being radicalized with conspiracy theories."
He added, "We don't want terrorism in Germany… and we don't want to export terrorism."
It has been estimated that roughly 850 people have traveled to Iraq and Syria from Germany to join militant fundamentalist groups like Daesh.
Germany is particularly sensitive to homegrown terrorism following two attacks in July, including a suicide bomber that killed 15 people when he detonated himself. A video was later discovered of the bomber, a Syrian named Mohammed Daleel, pledging allegiance to Daesh, who later took credit for the bombing, calling Daleel a "soldier."
