Major German Islamic associations condemn attack on Christopher Street Day in Berlin

German Islamic associations have expressed their horror over the attack on the CSD in Berlin. Hatred and violence cannot be justified by religion.

27 July 2026 | 1:09 PM

Roses on a fence near the crime scene in Berlin. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa

By Raoul Spada, Berlin

Following the suspected Islamist attack on Christopher Street Day in Berlin, various Islamic associations have expressed their horror and condemned the act.

Central Council of Muslims in Germany

"When people become targets of violence because of their identity or way of life, the fundamental values of our coexistence are attacked," stated the Central Council of Muslims in Germany on Monday. If the perpetrator indeed acted out of Islamist motives, "this would be another case in which an extremist ideology abuses religious references to justify hatred and violence and to set people against each other."

The Council further explained that violence against innocent people finds no justification in Islam: the protection of human life is one of its fundamental principles. Those who instrumentalize religion to incite hatred or commit violence are abusing faith for misanthropic goals. No one should become a target of violence because of their sexual orientation, religion, or origin: "Our response to hatred and violence must be a joint commitment to human dignity, freedom, security, and peaceful coexistence."

DITIB Federal Association

The DITIB federal association (Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs) calls for the protection of human dignity, commitment to peace, and strengthening social cohesion.

"The terrible attack in Berlin, in which a woman lost her life and numerous people were injured, has deeply shaken us. Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased, the injured, and all those affected by this heinous act."

Violence against people because of their identity, beliefs, or lifestyle stands in irreconcilable contradiction to Islamic fundamental values as well as to the free democratic constitutional state, the association stated.

Islamic Community Millî Görüş (IGMG)

The IGMG also condemned the "heinous" attack. "Those who attack, murder, or terrorize people are not acting in the name of Islam, but following a misanthropic delusional ideology," stated Secretary General Ali Mete on Sunday evening.

Islam and the Basic Law are united by the commitment to inviolable human dignity, he added. There must be neither religious nor political excuses for the act.

No Unified Voice for Muslims in Germany

Unlike the churches in Germany, Islamic associations speak for a smaller portion of the faithful.

• Central Council of Muslims in Germany – includes around 300 Sunni and Shiite mosque associations and communities nationwide.
• DITIB – represents 960 Turkish-Sunni mosque associations and is closely linked to the Turkish religious authority "Diyanet."
• Islamic Community Millî Görüş – represents 518 mosque communities and associations across Europe; due to its roots in an Islamist movement, it is still partially monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

The mosque landscape in Germany has grown from the bottom up, with associations sometimes competing with each other. None of the Islamic associations claims to speak for all believers in public. A minority of Islamic prayer rooms and mosques are represented by the major umbrella and peak associations; 70 percent are organized in larger and smaller associations.

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