At the end of 2004, Germany’s
Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution identified 28
Islamist organizations operating in Germany that pose a security risk or promote extremism. Members and followers of these organizations total approximately 32,150 out of a total Muslim population of about 1.5 million. The Turkish organization Islamic Society
Millî Görüş has the largest following, numbering 26,500. However, only a small hard core of fanatics is considered to be capable of
terrorism. The primary targets are believed to be
American,
British,
Israeli, and
Jewish facilities, although the facilities of other nations also are endangered. Potential targets include embassies, consulates, nuclear power plants, dams, airports, sewage plants, subways, skyscrapers, sports stadiums, and churches, according to the former interior minister. The fact that Germany refused to participate in
2003 invasion of Iraq may mitigate the risk of terrorism by extremist Islamic groups somewhat. However, German authorities are not complacent. Germany also faces an internal threat from right-wing and left-wing extremists. At the end of 2004, there were 182 right-wing extremist organizations with 38,600 members, according to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
Neo-Nazis totaled about 3,800. A hard core of right-wing extremists capable of violence is estimated at about 10,000. Three political parties are associated with right-wing extremism: the
Republicans, the
German People's Union, and the
National Democratic Party of Germany. The far-right German People’s Union holds six seats in the
Brandenburg state parliament and one seat in the
Bürgerschaft of Bremen. At the end of 2006, the far left, which has revolutionary
Marxist and
anarchist factions, had about 30,700 adherents. Only about 1,000 out of 65,800 members of the
Party of Democratic Socialism support a communist platform. Approximately 6,000 far-left extremists are deemed to be capable of violence. ==Terrorism==