Germany Closes Islamic Center Hamburg
25 July 2024. Hamburg, Germany.
Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced the ban of the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH) and its related organizations. The group is accused of pursuing radical Islamist goals. Four Shiite mosques will be closed because of this ban. This is part of a broader effort to crack down on extremist activities in Germany.
Authorities conducted early morning raids on 53 locations across eight German states, following a court order. The ban affects IZH in Hamburg and its subgroups in Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin. IZH includes one of Germany’s oldest mosques, known for its turquoise exterior.
Faeser stated, “Today, we banned the Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg. This group promotes an Islamist-extremist, totalitarian ideology. This ideology is against human dignity, women’s rights, an independent judiciary, and our democratic government.”
The ministry claims that IZH acted as a representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. They wanted to start an Islamic revolution in Germany to create a theocratic rule. The organization is also accused of promoting antisemitism and supporting Hezbollah, a banned terrorist group in Germany. The ban was based on evidence from a search of 55 properties conducted in November.