Halbmondlager (Half Moon Camp) for Muslim POWs

[NigelS]

An interesting article in the Sunday Telegraph's 'Seven' supplement 'Germany's Grand WW1 Jihad Experiment' by Florence Waters about attempts by Germany to 'turn' Muslim POWs by allowing them to live in relative luxury with all the needs of their faith - including provision of an Ottoman styled wooden mosque - catered for. The article also gives that German records indicate that around fifty Irish prisoners were also held there for a while with the same intent to sway their allegiance, but, as with the Muslims, apparently, with little success.

According to the article The Half Moon Camp is covered in the second part of David Olusoga's documentary series 'The World War: Forgotten Soldiers of Empire' (Wednesday 13/08/14, 9pm BBC2) discussed elsewhere on the forum Click

NigelS

[seaforths]

I saw the first programme and will watch the second with interest. Germany published quite a few images of this camp presumably for propaganda purposes showing the facilities they gave the Muslims; inside and outside the mosque and men doing drill to supposedly fight instead for Germany etc.