German Minister calls on Turkish-Islamic Union to explain hosting of Taliban official
Nancy Fizer, the Minister of Interior of Germany, requested an explanation from the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs regarding the invitation and speech of the Taliban’s acting director of food and drug administration at a mosque affiliated with this centre.
Fizer stated, “No one should provide a platform for radical Islamists in Germany.”
She emphasized once again that “the presence of a Taliban representative in Cologne is unacceptable and must be strongly condemned.”
Abdulbari Omar, the acting director of the Taliban’s food and drug administration, delivered a speech to a group of Afghans in the city of Cologne, Germany, on Thursday.
Earlier, the German Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the appearance and address of Abdulbari Omar, a Taliban official, at an Islamic centre in Cologne.
The Ministry has initiated an investigation into Abdulbari Omar’s entry into Germany. It underscores that Germany does not recognize the Taliban as a legitimate government, and no visa has been issued to this Taliban representative.
The Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs, where Mr Omar spoke at one of its buildings in Cologne, stated in a statement on Friday that trust in this union has been “misused.” The union added that an Afghan association had requested to hold religious rituals, but the event turned into a political conference, and someone unfamiliar to the union spoke at it.
According to French news agency reports, however, the German Interior Minister addressed the union, saying, “How can this place [the union] be used in such a manner?”
Abdulbari Omar had come to Holland for a pharmaceutical conference but subsequently travelled to several European countries and spoke in defence of the Taliban’s rule.
The Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs is the most prominent Islamic religious organization in Germany, with connections to the Turkish government. The union has stated that it rejects any moral and spiritual association with the Taliban.
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