At the beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) is calling for greater tolerance and peace. It is calling on mosques, Syrian associations, and organizations in Germany to show solidarity with persecuted Syrian minorities and to strengthen their commitment to freedom of religion.
“Ramadan is traditionally a time of prayer, reflection, and mutual aid. We call on mosques, Syrian associations, and their members in Germany to make it clear during this time that they stand with the persecuted Syrian minorities. As democrats in Germany, we must speak out when human rights are flagrantly violated. This also applies to the crimes of the regime in Damascus,” demands Dr. Kamal Sido, STP’s Middle East consultant. Some Sunni Arab mosques and associations in Germany openly support the new Syrian ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa (al-Jolani) and his regime, criticizes the STP. “We call on these mosques to clearly distance themselves from the crimes of the new Syrian regime,” demands Sido.
“Alawites, Druze, and Kurds from Syria who live in Germany tell us about hostility and threats from other Syrians. Alawites and Druze in particular hide their identity for fear of attacks,” reports Sido. “The fear of attacks that shapes the lives of minorities and critics of the regime in Syria is also palpable for Druze, Alawites, and Kurds in Germany. German politicians must not turn a blind eye to the fact that parts of the Syrian community support the Islamist regime in Damascus. All refugees seeking protection in Germany must be able to live here in safety,” says the human rights activist.
“It is important not to place all Sunni Arab Syrians under general suspicion. Many support cultural, humanitarian, and political projects in Syria from Germany. This support is of great importance because the people of Syria are still suffering greatly after years of Assad’s dictatorship and civil war. I appeal to these very people not to accept the crimes of the new rulers in Syria uncritically. I hope that their experiences with democracy, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion in Germany will be carried over to Syria and not the other way around,” said Sido.
According to STP, there are no exact statistics on the number of purely Syrian mosques in Germany, as mosque communities are often organized according to language groups or umbrella organizations. There are a total of around 2,600 to 2,800 mosque communities in Germany, of which an estimated 80 to 160 are Arabic-speaking, often under Turkish or Moroccan leadership. These are attended by many of the approximately 950,000 Syrians living in Germany. Since 2015, there has also been an increase in the number of smaller prayer rooms and associations initiated specifically by Syrian refugees.
According to estimates by the STP, there are currently around 200 Syrian associations in Germany. Around 30 of these associations are organized in the Association of German-Syrian Aid Associations (VDSH). Many members are Arab Sunnis. Whereas in the past it was mainly Kurds who stayed away from these associations, today it is mainly Alawites and Druze who leave, if they were members at all.
This press release was translated from German to English using AI. If you come across errors or ambiguities, please contact us at 65]G378o6DD6CA.
Contact: Dr. Kamal Sido, Middle East consultant – 65]G378o@5:D]<