Delegates at the 17th General Assembly of the Islamische Gemeinschaft 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 Cologne-based Muslim organisation for 15.5 years. İleri had served as deputy chairman and head of organisational affairs since 2011.
Ergün to remain involved
After handing over the presidency, Ergün is to take over as chair of the organisation’s Board of Trustees. He said the end of his term as chairman would not mean a departure from the community and pledged his support to the new leadership.
Focus on young leadership and participation
İleri said the organisation would continue to develop its structures and encourage younger members to take on greater responsibility in leadership roles. He also set out a goal of strengthening Muslims’ participation in wider society. In his address, he said the peace, security and future of the countries where people live are also their own.
He highlighted constitutional order, the rule of law, freedom of religion and conscience, equal citizenship and the need to challenge anti-Muslim prejudice. Religious education and stronger support for families were also named among the priorities for the new term.
The IGMG is headquartered in Cologne. The organisation says it operates through 44 regional associations and has more than 700 mosques, alongside a range of education, youth, women’s and social-service institutions.
