Celebrate diversity! What could possibly go wrong? In the original Arabic, this verse (Qur’an 2:286) says: “You are our patron. So help us give hugs to unbelievers.”
“‘Victory over Unbelievers’ – The controversial verse in the Ditib Central Mosque,” translated from “„Sieg über Ungläubige“ – Der umstrittene Vers in der Ditib-Zentralmoschee,” by Till-Reimer Stoldt, Welt, June 11, 2021 (thanks to Medforth):
God loves the beautiful and the good – this prayer room leaves no doubt about that: The high ceilings of Cologne’s Ditib Central Mosque are decorated in Arabic with the so-called 99 most beautiful names of Allah. For example, “the beneficient”, “the noble” or “the compassionate”.
But another calligraphy adorns the prayer room. It quotes the 286th verse of the second sura of the Koran in Arabic. And according to several translators, this is: “You are our patron. So help us to victory over the unbelievers.” From the point of view of the supposed unbelievers, that doesn’t sound quite so nice and good.
A group of Ditib critics discovered this Koran verse in the Cologne prayer hall of the mosque association and had it translated. Ali Ertan Toprak, President of the Federal Working Group of Immigrant Associations in Germany, is one of them. He is appalled by the find in the mosque.
“How does that fit in with the Ditib’s multi-religious oaths of peace?” asks Toprak. “Ditib always emphasizes that the house of God is a place of togetherness. Why is this place decorated with a supplication invoking victory over the unbelievers? This is a declaration of war on peaceful coexistence in Germany,” says the secular Muslim and CDU Bundestag candidate to WELT.
He is also irritated that the Ditib does not translate the said verse in the paper version of its German-language brochure “Central Mosque of Cologne” (the brochure is available to WELT). Most of the other verses that adorn the mosque are reproduced there in German – melodious verses such as “Peace be upon you!” or “We have made you people and tribes so that you can get to know one another”. “Why is this problematic verse missing from the translation?” asks Toprak.
For years, the largest mosque association in Germany has been accused of preaching Turkish nationalism. In addition, according to experts, the Ditib is under the influence of the authoritarian Turkish government. And now also this calligraphy that has adorned the house of prayer since its inauguration in 2017 – that should be grist on the mills of all Ditib skeptics. But is the critics’ translation correct?
Yes, says Abdel-Hakim Ourghi. The German-Algerian scholar of Islam at the Freiburg University of Education is one of the most prominent campaigners for secular Islam in this country. In response to a request from WELT, he declares this translation to be the “most verbatim transmission”. The Bonn-based Islamic scholar Christine Schirrmacher also translates the verse on request with “Grant us the victory over the unbeliever”.
It is noteworthy in which tradition of interpretation they join: in a theologically very conservative one. This begins with medieval commentaries on the Koran and extends to scholars such as the Saudi Wahhabi Abd ar-Rahman al-Utaimin (died 2001). He explained the verse in a Qur’an comment: “Victory against the unbelievers can be achieved through the word and the argument, but also through the sword and weapons.”
Similarly, the Koran edition published by the King Fahd Institute in Saudi Arabia translates the verse into English: “Grant us victory over the unbelievers.” Among the German-speaking translators, they are followed by Nadeem Elyas of Saudi origin; for many years he was chairman of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany. In the edition published by him (and approved by the Saudi Ministry of Religions) the sentence reads: “Help us to victory over the unbelieving people!”
And Ourghi complains that the verse “always implies that Muslims should see Germany as a kind of enemy country. Such a verse has no place in a mosque in this country. Toprak also asks why the state of North Rhine-Westphalia “is entrusting Ditib, of all people, with the task of organising Muslim religious education in schools?
Hoi Polloi says
I’m never certain just what a “secular Muslim” is. I do appreciate his candor and efforts to address the problem. “Campaigner for secular Islam” is another term that I do not truly comprehend.
mortimer says
Dear Hoi Polloi: You are not SUPPOSED to understand what a ‘secular Muslim’ is, because a ‘secular’ Muslim is either a non-believing kafir-Muslim pretending to be part of Islam or he is a real Muslim pretending to be Westernized.
The term ‘secular Muslim’ is meant to keep you guessing while they walk down the line between falsehood and truth.
gravenimage says
Ali Ertan Toprak is Kurdish and Alevi.
Alevis are *not* orthodox Muslims, and reject many aspects of Islam.
Hoi Polloi says
Thanks to both for responding.
andra says
the Ditib is under the influence of the authoritarian Turkish government.
———————-
The Ditib is not under the influence of Turkish authorities. It is part of them. The Ditib – just as comparable organisations in Austria and France – is a department of the Turkish religious authority Dyanet. They do not hide this fact and they have always shown that they are part ot the Turkish invasion in Europe as they raise the Turkish flag outside every mosque they build in Europe.
The Mosque in Cologne is not the first one with such kind of verse. Several decades ago, when the first prayer rooms were installed, you could find them there. But the German authorities have ever since appeased and ignored.
gravenimage says
Thank you, Andra.
And good to see you posting again.
Beneath the Veil of Consciousness says
Hoi Polloi: You do not understand the term, secular Islam, because it is an oxymoron.
mortimer says
Correct translation: ‘MUSLIMS UBER DEUTSCHLAND’ and ‘MUSLIMS UBER ALLES’.
Hoi Polloi says
Absolutely. Islam Uber Alles should caption every photo of Merkel. It is her clear intent; why not make it explicit?
Walter Sieruk says
The construction of the many mosques in the Germany as well as the nations of Europe not only means that more people in the Germany and other countries of Europe are now being proselytized to Islam. This may be disturbing enough.
In addition, this mass construction of mosques in Germany and the other European countries have still a further meaning which has been explained by a former Muslim who is now a Christian, Dr. Daniel Shayesteh, in his book ISLAM THE HOUSE I LEFT BEHIND for in page 99 it informs the reader that “The mosque is vital for establishing Muslims as sovereign over non-Muslims in a non-Islamic society or country. Building a mosque in a non-Islamic society or country symbolizes Islam’s claim over that society or country, even with a non-Muslim majority.”
Keith O says
Imagine the backlash from the left if a Catholic church put up a sign calling for victory over the non Catholics!
The double standards surrounding Islam are appalling.
gravenimage says
So true, Keith.
Hoi Polloi says
Yes to both of you. Francis would copter in to declare solidarity with his muslim “brothers.”
gravenimage says
Germany: Qur’an verse on wall of Cologne central mosque asks Allah for ‘victory over unbelievers’
……………
Hideous but–obviously–orthodox Islam.
Andrew Blackadder says
At the very highest point in Germany, on top of the Mountain known as the Zugspitize, outside Garmisch in southern Bavaria, on the Austrian Border, is an islamic Prayer Room, as the employees of the Hotel up there, (That was designed by Hitler), complained that they had no place to make their prayers while they are working in the Hotel as they could not travel down to the Valley so many times each day, so, the Hotel cleared out an unused Store Room, put in a carpet, and said, there you go, however when the muslims looked out the one window they noticed a Cross on the other peak and demanded that it be taken down as it was offensive to their wee feelings, however the Hotel just closed the curtains.
This Prayer Room has a Toilet beside it that has a sign stating for use by muslims ONLY, in German of course.
I would like to ask anybody, including Robert here, to see if anybody could go up there, film this Prayer Room, even enter it, check out this special toilet that a German person cannot use in their own country, and post it on here.
Whenever islam conquered a Nation they built a mosque at the highest peak, just to show the people that they have been conquered by islam…
Most Germans are totally unaware of this Prayer Room and that they have indeed been conquered by islam. Ask any German you know if they knew about this Prayer Room, I asked one German guy and he said, “Ja,this is okay as they must have a place to pray”..
THIS is why so many Germans blindly followed an evil wee man with a bad haircut and a silly wee mustache all those years ago…We are just too follow zee orders Ja…
Don Ameche says
And in what muslim country is there a modern Church built ?
Michael Copeland says
“This is a declaration of war on peaceful coexistence in Germany,” says Toprak.
Yes, Germany is Dar al Harb, the Realm of War.
“Britain has always been Dar al Harb”, Anjem Choudary told the BBC.
“The kafir is the enemy”, explains the Saudi fatwa against muslims in kafir armies..
“No peace can be made between us and kafirs. This what our holy
book says. This what Allah says” – Yusuf al Qaradawi
Giacomo Latta says
”This is a declaration of war on peaceful coexistence in Germany”
Someone gets it.
SKA says
In the beginning of this article it is stated that
the verse (Qur’an 2:286) says: “You are our patron. So help us give hugs to unbelievers.”
This bizarre translation is never explained. Is it a bit of Muslim snark for the guest nation?
Michael Copeland says
It is a bit of Spencer satire.
Kiss them wherever you find them.
SKA says
Thank you, Michael!