Delegates at the 17th General Assembly of the Islamic Community Millî Görüş (IGMG) elected Murat İleri as the organisation’s new chairman in Hagen on Sunday, 8 November. He succeeds Kemal Ergün, who led the organisation for 15.5 years and is moving to the chair of its Board of Trustees.
İleri had served as IGMG deputy chairman and head of organisational affairs since 2011. In his address to delegates, he said the organisation would continue strengthening its structures, give younger members greater responsibility in leadership roles and encourage Muslims to take a more active part in wider society.
He also reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to constitutional order, the rule of law, freedom of religion and conscience, freedom of thought and association, equal citizenship rights and human dignity. Addressing anti-Muslim prejudice and exclusion, İleri said stronger participation in society should be the response. “The peace of the countries in which we live is our peace, their security our security and their future our future,” he said.
The assembly also confirmed changes to the organisation’s leadership team, including the appointment of Abdi Taşdöğen as secretary-general.
Headquartered in Cologne, IGMG says it operates through 44 regional associations and more than 700 mosques, alongside educational, youth, women’s and social-service organisations. The leadership change marks a new phase for one of Germany’s major Muslim civil-society organisations and its wider European network.
