Bremen's High Administrative Court upholds the deportation directive for Salafist clerics
In a significant ruling on September 18th, 2023, the Higher Administrative Court of Bremen upheld the deportation of a Salafist preacher associated with the Islamic Cultural Center on Breitenweg (IKZ). The decision came after a series of events that raised concerns about hate speech, incitement to violence, and radicalization.
The preacher, a native Tunisian, has been a member of the IKZ's board since 2004 and has four children but lives separately from his family. His actions against his wife were not disclosed, but in 2022, a district court convicted him of assaulting his wife and banned him from contacting his family for several months.
The preacher's sermons at the IKZ have been under observation by the constitutional protection office for years due to their contradiction of central constitutional principles. The preacher's calls for conscious separation from non-Muslims or "infidels" and his endorsement of physical punishment for women were also noted.
The preacher's sermons were initially found to be protected by freedom of speech in an administrative court's 2022 ruling. However, the Higher Administrative Court overturned this decision, stating that the preacher's sermons called for armed struggle and endangered public safety and order. The repeated calls for hatred by the preacher were considered a particularly weighty reason for his deportation.
The case ignited debates about balancing freedom of speech with preventing hate speech or extremist radicalization. Preachers promoting extremist views might be seen as exceeding protected speech, leading to deportation for public safety.
Senator Maurer, Bremen's Interior Minister, welcomed the OVG's ruling, stating that such individuals poison the social climate and reject the Western legal and value system. The court's decision reduced the ban on entry and residence from 20 years to an unspecified period, requiring the interior authority to make a new decision.
This ruling serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between upholding freedom of speech and maintaining public safety in a diverse and democratic society. For more precise details about this particular deportation case and the legal arguments involved, it is recommended to consult official German government or Bremen state sources or reputable news outlets reporting on this case.
The preacher's repeated calls for hatred and armed struggle in his sermons were deemed a threat to public safety and order, leading to a general-news ruling for his deportation. As the case stirred debates about the balance between freedom of speech and preventing hate speech or extremist radicalization, it highlights the importance of crime-and-justice decisions in maintaining a peaceful and democratic society.
