Turkish media on Monday claimed that a pig’s head was left in Grand Mosque in the city of Compiegne in Oise. These claims were made by Turkish Muslim umbrella group DITIB (Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs). This report comes after Turkey accused France of ‘Islamophobia’ after France condemned the beheading of its citizens by hands of Islamic terrorists over ‘blasphemy’. Interestingly, the reports of pig head found in mosque are only claimed by DITIB. French media or authorities have not yet confirmed the incident.
What is DITIB
DITIB is a controversial Turkish Muslim group founded in Germany. It manages over 900 mosques in Germany and has over 8 lakh members. As per official research service for the German Bundestag, that has created a register of Islamic organizations in Germany, its charter states that DITIB is “linked to the Turkish government’s Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet).”
As per the report, the Diyanet sends imams to mosques affiliated with DITIB. The salaries of the Imams are paid by Turkish consulate generals. Diyanet determines what is the theological guidelines on what is preached in the mosques under DITIB. The Diyanet is state body for administration of religious affairs and answers directly to Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Diyanet reportedly has an annual budget of over €1 billion ($1.17 billion), which is more than Turkey’s Interior or Foreign Ministry.
In March this year, the German federal state of Hesse ended its cooperation with DITIB because they had doubts of DITIB’s independence from Turkish state. In May 2019, former German intelligence chief had alleged that the DITIB Imams are working for the Turkish intelligence. In January 2019, German media reported that the organisation had close contacts with alleged Islamists of Muslim Brotherhood in Germany.
France vs Turkey
Days after French President made the ‘Islam is in crisis’ speech calling out Islamic terrorism, Turkey President Erdogan had said that Macron needs ‘treatment’. Days later, a French teacher Samuel Paty was beheaded for showing a Charlie Hebdo caricature of Prophet Muhammad to his class. This was followed by other beheadings by terrorists shouting Allahu Akbar as France continued to call out Islamic terror attack.
Amid such terror attacks, Turkish media has cited Turkish Muslim group accused of espionage, on reports of ‘pig’s head found in mosque’ in France.