BERLIN: Around 30 Muslim leaders from across Europe gathered Sunday for a rally against terror in Berlin at the site of a deadly truck attack in December, claimed by the Daesh group.
The event, which attracted a few hundred participants, was part of a “March of Muslims Against Terrorism” by imams who set off by bus from Paris on Saturday.
The gathering in the German capital took place at the Breitscheidplatz square, where a Tunisian who had failed in his attempt to seek asylum plowed a hijacked lorry through crowds at a Christmas market, an attack that killed 12 people.
The Islamic leaders held a prayer for the victims, joined by local Muslim, Christian and Jewish representatives.
Imam Hocine Drouiche from the southern French city of Nimes was quoted by German media as saying that the event was meant to send a “message of fraternity against terrorism.”
The Lutheran bishop for the Berlin region, Markus Droege, praised the imams’ tour.
“Religion is the way of peace,” he said. “Violence, hatred and terror betray faith and betray God.”
A total of about 60 imams are meant to join the tour of European cities, taking in Brussels, Toulouse and Nice — which have all suffered deadly assaults by Islamic extremist assailants — before returning to Paris on Friday.
Muslim leaders rally in Berlin against terrorism
Muslim leaders rally in Berlin against terrorism
At least three dead as migrant boat capsizes off Greek island
- An accident occurred when the vessel approached the migrants’ wooden boat
- The search for survivors was continuing with four patrol boats
ATHENS: The bodies of three migrants were picked up in waters off the Greek island of Crete during a rescue effort involving a commercial ship, authorities said Friday.
Twenty migrants were rescued by the commercial vessel which was directed to the area on the orders of the Greek Search and Rescue Center.
According to Greek public broadcaster ERT, an accident occurred when the vessel approached the migrants’ wooden boat. As the passengers tried to climb up ladders into the vessel a sudden movement caused the small boat to capsize.
The search for survivors was continuing with four patrol boats, an aircraft, and two ships from the European border agency Frontex, a spokesperson for the Greek coast guard told AFP.
According to ERT, survivors said about 50 people were aboard the wooden boat.
A second boat carrying around forty migrants was spotted in the area, triggering another rescue operation.
For over a year, migrants have been attempting the perilous crossing from Libya to Crete, the gateway to the European Union.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 16,770 people seeking asylum in the EU arrived in Crete in 2025.
Faced with the surge in arrivals, the conservative Greek government suspended the processing of asylum applications for three months last summer, particularly for those arriving from Libya.
UNHCR says 107 people died or went missing in Greek waters in 2025.
