Sami A. hat Verbindungen zu radikalen, islamistischen Kreisen – und predigt offensichtlich in Bochum.
Bochum: Suddenly they were there. Since a few weeks, radical-islamist salafists have met on Eugenstrasse, Bochum. Behind this is a an ex-bodyguard of Osama bin Laden – officially, however, his name – Sami A – does not appear. Authorities became attentive only after being tipped by citizens.
This weekend, mezzo sopranist Karolina Gumos should not sleep with an open window – she would find little tranquility. The star at the present Ruhrtriennale has been accomodated on Eugenstrasse – next door to the mosque presently established by Sami A and his coreligionists. ‘Some time between midnight and two, the night is over here’, says a neighbour. ‘Then the islamists leave the mosque. Then the noise rises to unsupportable levels.’
The three women sitting at the coffee table are well informed. They know who he is. ‘This is the bin Laden guy’, says one of them, ‘it’s him who makes the mosque.’ The fact that Sami A’s prayer house project cover was blown away is no thanks to the Verfassungsschutz. Not to the police either. It’s the merit of a 61-year old woman who is a nightwatch at a home for the mentally retarded. She lives in the neighbourhood. And she gave the decisive tip. She reported the mosque-like activities with the ordnungsamt [ordnung = order, amt = office], complained about the nocturnal disturbances of the peace.
Covered display windows of the former nail salon on Eugenstrasse: Since about four weeks, mosque activities have been going on here.
Her tip had the effect of a wake-up call. Suddenly, the Verfassungsschutz was on location. Last week, Uwe S had a visitor. An agent showed him his id, then asked him questions. What it was about that mosque. What kind of people they were.
Uwe S is the landlord of the 200 square meter shop, where up to 60 believing moslems have been meeting for weeks. He knew Sami A as a religious man from next-door, says he. ‘In march we talked. He was interested in this object.’ The preacher, however, kept out of the formalities. ‘He sent a younger person for this’, says the landlord. Logically enough, the name of Sami A doesn’t appear in relation to the mosque.
Today, Sami A probably feels better. He keeps on denying to talk to the WAZ. His lawyer denies, on his behalf, everything the Verfassungsschutz and BKA, judges and federal prosecutors know about him. Now, he needs no longer jet on his blue motor scooter through the city, when he wants to spread his radical belief. He needs not even walk five minutes to reach his new realm.
‘No’, he hasn’t hired this object, says his lawyer. She doesn’t say much more. Not a word about the fact that her client is the driving force behind the project, just as confirmed by the landlord.
Also other facts remain covered, just as the display windows of the former nail salon on Eugenstrasse. Whether Sami A continues to give religious lessons; what he teaches, whom and where – such questions ‘will not be answered by my client’.
Police now patrol more frequently in this street, residents say. ‘As if this would make any difference.’ Promises made by the interior minister [of the North-Rhine Westfalia state] are met with scorn and sneer. ‘Talking about protection: We are being left alone, and we need to take care of ourselves.’ A plan circulates: to offer Uwe S money and buy the shop from him. ‘Maybe that way we get rid of the mosque.’ And another thing is important: ‘We get along well with foreigners. At the corner, there is another mosque. Those people are nice. But we don’t want these salafists. They put our children in danger.’
This former nail salon on Eugenstrasse, Bochum is to be converted into a mosque – the city is in possession of the application. The city, however, has reacted by stopping the unauthorised prayer-room activities.
Bochum: Mosque activities at a former nail salon on Eugenstrasse, Bochum have been stopped. The administration has forbidden the unauthorised use of this building as a place for assembly. According to rumours, an ex-bodyguard of Osama bin Laden wanted to build a mosque there – this created much fuss.
There are news in the case of the planned mosque in Bochum: After recent days’ headlines, the city of Bochum has prohibited the ‘unauthorised use’ of the former Eugenstrasse nail salon as an assembly venue.
As reported earlier, there were serious rumours that a former bodyguard of Osama bin Laden wanted to establish a mosque in those rooms. Only a few weeks earlier became known that this man called Sami A lives in Bochum. Tipped by citizens, the authorities’ attention was drawn to the – predominantly nocturnal – assemblies in that building.
‘We will not have that unauthorised activities take place in a closed shop’, emphasised municipal building officer Ernst Kratzsch in a press communiqué. According to his words, the residents’ concerns are taken ‘very seriously’, while everything was undertaken with police to prevent unauthorised activities. It is a good sign that residents ‘carefully watch what is happening in their quarter’.
The Bochum city administration had confirmed already at the end of last week that it had received an application for changing the use of these rooms as an assembly venue. In this context, Sami A does not appear as a player; but he is being watched by the authorities. According to informations, he once was a bodyguard for Osama bin Laden, and he is considered one of Germany’s most dangerous jihadists. The Bundesanwaltschaft [General State Prosecutor] charges him to have decisively radicalised two indicted members of the ‘Düsseldorfer Zelle’ [no easy reference available; try Google, if interested].
This weekend, mezzo sopranist Karolina Gumos should not sleep with an open window – she would find little tranquility. The star at the present Ruhrtriennale has been accomodated on Eugenstrasse – next door to the mosque presently established by Sami A and his coreligionists. ‘Some time between midnight and two, the night is over here’, says a neighbour. ‘Then the islamists leave the mosque. Then the noise rises to unsupportable levels.’
The three women sitting at the coffee table are well informed. They know who he is. ‘This is the bin Laden guy’, says one of them, ‘it’s him who makes the mosque.’ The fact that Sami A’s prayer house project cover was blown away is no thanks to the Verfassungsschutz. Not to the police either. It’s the merit of a 61-year old woman who is a nightwatch at a home for the mentally retarded. She lives in the neighbourhood. And she gave the decisive tip. She reported the mosque-like activities with the ordnungsamt [ordnung = order, amt = office], complained about the nocturnal disturbances of the peace.
Covered display windows of the former nail salon on Eugenstrasse: Since about four weeks, mosque activities have been going on here.
Her tip had the effect of a wake-up call. Suddenly, the Verfassungsschutz was on location. Last week, Uwe S had a visitor. An agent showed him his id, then asked him questions. What it was about that mosque. What kind of people they were.
Uwe S is the landlord of the 200 square meter shop, where up to 60 believing moslems have been meeting for weeks. He knew Sami A as a religious man from next-door, says he. ‘In march we talked. He was interested in this object.’ The preacher, however, kept out of the formalities. ‘He sent a younger person for this’, says the landlord. Logically enough, the name of Sami A doesn’t appear in relation to the mosque.
Page 2
This roll is tailor-made for him: pulling the strings in the background. Discreet, quiet, soft. Therefore, the last two weeks will not have been a good time for Sami A, for never had he been watched more closely than since 6 august 2012. It was the day when the WAZ [this paper] traced him in Stahlhausen. The exposal of the bin Laden bodyguard triggered a downright media hysteria. The man with the personal contacts to the top of terror organisation, Al-Qaeda, no longer dared to leave the house – because of the size of the pack waylaying him. At least two times, Sami A did not appear at the police station, where he must show up each day. His lawyer excused him, according to what we hear. Her client ails, is psychologically stricken, not a match for the trouble around him. There he was again, the sensitive Sami A: the one with the soft handshake, past whom you wouldn’t put an RPG, the weapon he once used to protect bin Laden.Today, Sami A probably feels better. He keeps on denying to talk to the WAZ. His lawyer denies, on his behalf, everything the Verfassungsschutz and BKA, judges and federal prosecutors know about him. Now, he needs no longer jet on his blue motor scooter through the city, when he wants to spread his radical belief. He needs not even walk five minutes to reach his new realm.
‘No’, he hasn’t hired this object, says his lawyer. She doesn’t say much more. Not a word about the fact that her client is the driving force behind the project, just as confirmed by the landlord.
Also other facts remain covered, just as the display windows of the former nail salon on Eugenstrasse. Whether Sami A continues to give religious lessons; what he teaches, whom and where – such questions ‘will not be answered by my client’.
Police now patrol more frequently in this street, residents say. ‘As if this would make any difference.’ Promises made by the interior minister [of the North-Rhine Westfalia state] are met with scorn and sneer. ‘Talking about protection: We are being left alone, and we need to take care of ourselves.’ A plan circulates: to offer Uwe S money and buy the shop from him. ‘Maybe that way we get rid of the mosque.’ And another thing is important: ‘We get along well with foreigners. At the corner, there is another mosque. Those people are nice. But we don’t want these salafists. They put our children in danger.’
UPDATE 2012/8/21
Islamism suspicion: City of Bochum stops mosque activities on Eugenstrasse
This former nail salon on Eugenstrasse, Bochum is to be converted into a mosque – the city is in possession of the application. The city, however, has reacted by stopping the unauthorised prayer-room activities.
Bochum: Mosque activities at a former nail salon on Eugenstrasse, Bochum have been stopped. The administration has forbidden the unauthorised use of this building as a place for assembly. According to rumours, an ex-bodyguard of Osama bin Laden wanted to build a mosque there – this created much fuss.
There are news in the case of the planned mosque in Bochum: After recent days’ headlines, the city of Bochum has prohibited the ‘unauthorised use’ of the former Eugenstrasse nail salon as an assembly venue.
As reported earlier, there were serious rumours that a former bodyguard of Osama bin Laden wanted to establish a mosque in those rooms. Only a few weeks earlier became known that this man called Sami A lives in Bochum. Tipped by citizens, the authorities’ attention was drawn to the – predominantly nocturnal – assemblies in that building.
‘We will not have that unauthorised activities take place in a closed shop’, emphasised municipal building officer Ernst Kratzsch in a press communiqué. According to his words, the residents’ concerns are taken ‘very seriously’, while everything was undertaken with police to prevent unauthorised activities. It is a good sign that residents ‘carefully watch what is happening in their quarter’.
The Bochum city administration had confirmed already at the end of last week that it had received an application for changing the use of these rooms as an assembly venue. In this context, Sami A does not appear as a player; but he is being watched by the authorities. According to informations, he once was a bodyguard for Osama bin Laden, and he is considered one of Germany’s most dangerous jihadists. The Bundesanwaltschaft [General State Prosecutor] charges him to have decisively radicalised two indicted members of the ‘Düsseldorfer Zelle’ [no easy reference available; try Google, if interested].
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