A bustling crowd of around 400 individuals gathered at a pro-Palestine rally in front of the Theatine Church on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The atmosphere was tense, as the Munich imam Ahmad Schekeb Popal (33) requested everyone to pray for the departed souls.
Intriguingly, the attendees followed the imam's lead, kneeling on Odeonsplatz as he repeatedly uttered "Allahu Akbar" – an Arabic phrase meaning "God is great." Surrounded by veiled women cradling impersonated, blood-stained infants in their arms, the emotional display continued.
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Energized by the imam, the crowd echoed chants such as "Freedom for Palestine," "End the terror and the war," and "Palestine is in dire need, with no water or bread." A passionate young speaker lambasted the media for allegedly spreading false narratives, specifically mentioning the 240+ hostages held captive by the terrorist organization Hamas.
"You won't find any mention of the hostages being well-treated in the media," he asserted to the crowd's applause. "But the hostages themselves have confirmed it!"
Views on the consequences were noticeably absent from this passionate speaker. After all, no one would willingly choose to be held captive in the war-torn Gaza Strip, especially considering the brutal crimes that led to the tragic demise of individuals like the German-Israeli Shani Louk (22).
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German politicians were not left unscathed. "Scandal on you, Olaf Scholz," the imam bitterly lamented, condemning German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The "murderers from the Greens" was another pointed comment aimed at Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, following her affirmation of unwavering solidarity with Israel.
Asked about the impact, Munich region news largely dedicated its coverage to the Palestinian conflict but failed to address the anti-Semitic slurs hurled toward German politicians during the event.
Note: While this demonstration took place in Munich, it’s worth mentioning that similar incidents of anti-Semitic slurs during pro-Palestine rallies have been reported in Berlin. This has necessitated strict regulations on protests, including banning Arabic speeches to prevent inciting violence and hate speech.
As a response, the authorities have imposed stringent rules, such as restricting protest locations and mandating that demonstrators communicate exclusively in German and English to hinder inflammatory rhetoric. The regulations had been challenged in court, but courts upheld the police's measures to ensure public safety, as was recently witnessed in a prematurely-concluded rally where 28 individuals were temporarily detained.
