Germany’s interior minister on Wednesday announced a ban on the Islamic Center Hamburg and its subsidiary organizations, accusing the group of pursuing radical Islamist goals. As a result of the ban, four Shi’ite mosques will be closed.
The move comes as part of a broader crackdown on extremist activity in the country.
The ministry alleges that the IZH acted as a direct representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and sought to bring about an Islamic revolution in Germany. Additionally, the organization is accused of promoting antisemitism and supporting Hezbollah, a banned terrorist group in Germany.
The ministry’s decision to ban the IZH was based on evidence gathered during a previous search of properties conducted in November. According to Reuters, acting on a court order, authorities conducted early morning raids on 53 premises across eight German states.
The ban affects not only the Hamburg-based IZH, which includes one of Germany’s oldest mosques, known for its distinctive turquoise exterior, but also its subgroups in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin.
“Today, we banned the Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg, which promotes an Islamist-extremist, totalitarian ideology in Germany. This Islamist ideology is opposed to human dignity, women’s rights, an independent judiciary and our democratic government,” said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.
She emphasized that the ban is specifically targeted at extremist activities and not intended to restrict religious freedom.
“This ban absolutely does not apply to the peaceful practice of the Shi’ite religion,” she clarified.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
