Germany’s Islamist scene growing, says security chief

AFP, BERLIN: Germany’s domestic security chief warned Sunday that the country’s radical Islamist scene is not only growing, but becoming more decentralised, posing greater challenges to surveillance operations.
In an interview with national news agency DPA, Hans-Georg Maassen also defended security officials under fire after it emerged that Berlin truck attack suspect Anis Amri had slipped through their net, saying they had done everything they could.
Overall, the number of Salafists—or fundamentalist Sunni Muslims—in Germany has risen to more than 9,700, sharply up from 3,800 people in 2011, said Maassen.
“It’s of great concern to us that this scene is not only growing, but it is also very diversified. There is not just one, two, three or four people who have a say,” he warned.
“Rather, there are many people who dominate this Salafist scene. And all these people have to be watched.”
While in the past, there were a few people who wielded influence, today, there are many small clusters formed by individuals.
“So you can no longer talk about a Salafist scene as a whole, but you have to deal with many hotspots. 

Germanys Islamist scene growing, says security chief

AFP, BERLIN: Germanys domestic security chief warned Sunday that the countrys radical Islamist scene is not only growing, but becoming more decentralised, posing greater challenges to surveillance operations. In an interview with national news agency DPA, Hans-Georg Maassen also defended security officials under fire after it emerged that Berlin truck attack suspect Anis Amri had slipped through their net, saying they had done everything they could. Overall, the number of Salafistsor fundamentalist Sunni Muslimsin Germany has risen to more than 9,700, sharply up from 3,800 people in 2011, said Maassen. Its of great concern to us that this scene is not only growing, but it is also very diversified. There is not just one, two, three or four people who have a say, he warned. Rather, there are many people who dominate this Salafist scene. And all these people have to be watched. While in the past, there were a few people who wielded influence, today, there are many small clusters formed by individuals. So you can no longer talk about a Salafist scene as a whole, but you have to deal with many hotspots.