it's one of the fastest growing branches of islam in germany that's what the federal domestic intelligence service says in two thousand and eleven german authorities knew of about three thousand eight hundred salafist in the country three years later that number was seven thousand. and by two thousand and seventeen it was ten thousand eight hundred that's almost a tripling in seven years. and this is the salafist stronghold in germany the western state of north rhine-westphalia it's thought there are about three thousand salafist supporters here the regional intelligence agency classifies eight hundred of them as prone to violence authorities watch female salafist particularly carefully as wives and mothers they're important in holding the community together in two thousand and twelve a group of islam ists in germany were caught planning a bomb attack in bonn at least one of the group had salafist connections. salafist