Islam versus Europe

The attack on the German embassy in the Sudan was not a spontaneous action. The embassy had been prepared for days; imams had been massively inciting against Germany. The hatred erupted apparently because of anti-Islam demos by right-wingers in the federal republic.

Khartoum - The outbreak of violence in the Sudanese capital did not take the German embassy unawares; for days the diplomats had been preparing for the day of rage. The protest in Khartoum did not erupt because of the film "Innocence of Muslims" disseminated in the USA, however, but was aimed at Germany directly.

Since at least the start of this week Islamic preachers in Sudan, and indirectly also the government, had been calling for a massive demonstration in front of the German embassy this Friday. Several imams incited their followers with the statement that the image of the holy prophet had been desecrated during demonstrations in Germany.

It is completely clear that in this the hate preachers were alluding to actions of islam-critical organisations such as the small far-right party Pro NRW. Members of Pro NRW often carried Mohammed caricatures with them during their demonstrations in Germany. Images of these demonstrations, say observers in Khartoum, had stirred up the masses.

Within the last few days the protest against Germany also acquired a political component. On Thursday the foreign minister in Khartoum directly demanded that the Chancellor Angela Merkel prohibit demonstrations with Mohammed caricatures in Germany.

In addition the foreign ministry criticised Merkel because in 2010 she presented an award to the artist responsible for the caricatures that provoked raging protests in the entire Muslim world in 2005 and expressly praised the Dane Kurt Westergaard as an example for freedom of expression.