German police closed the Islamic Centre in Hamburg, also known as the Blue Mosque, as part of nationwide raids (Image Source: AP)
In a significant crackdown on Islamic extremist groups with ties to the Iranian regime, German police raided one of the country’s oldest mosques, the Imam Ali mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, in Hamburg. On the morning of July 24, officers in balaclavas confiscated cash and a black Audi vehicle from the premises. The operation was part of a broader effort to dismantle networks linked to terror outfit Hezbollah.
Nancy Faeser, Germany’s interior minister, announced the banning of the Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH), the organisation running the mosque, labelling it an “extremist” group.
Police occupied the Islamic Centre in Hamburg as Faeser described the group as an “extremist propaganda outfit” aimed at exporting the Iranian revolution and supporting Hezbollah, which is also banned in Germany as part of a pro-Iran “axis of resistance.”
The crackdown extended beyond Hamburg, with over 50 properties raided across Germany to target the mosque’s satellite groups. Faeser emphasised that the actions were not against religion but specifically targeted Islamist extremists, distinguishing them from the many Muslims who peacefully practice their faith in Germany.
“We are drawing a clear distinction between the Islamist extremists that we are cracking down on and the many Muslims who belong to our country and live according to their faith. This ban absolutely does not apply to the peaceful practice of the Shiite religion,” the statement said.
Calls for the closure of the mosque had been persistent from anti-Iran MPs and activists for years, but Germany waited until it had a watertight legal case.
Intelligence reports dating back to 2017 identified the Hamburg mosque as the most influential centre of Iranian pro-regime activity in Germany. Hamburg’s security apparatus, which had documented the mosque’s activities for over 30 years, referred to it as an “instrument of Tehran.”
The mosque provided Islamic teaching for children in Farsi, Arabic, and German and was typically led by staunch supporters of the Iranian revolution.
Hamburg’s security minister, Andy Grote, hailed the closure as a significant blow against Islamic extremism, calling the Islamic Centre Hamburg an outpost of the “contemptuous Iranian regime.”
The recent raid followed a November operation amid a crackdown on anti-Semitic agitation after the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war. Authorities now believe they have the evidence needed to justify the ban, following similar actions against Hezbollah in 2020 and supporters of Hamas in 2023.
The national intelligence agency described the mosque’s activities as “directed against the constitutional order” in Germany, representing Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the regime’s ideology in an “aggressive and militant way.”
The IZH was also implicated in spreading aggressive anti-Semitism and supporting the banned terrorist organisation Hezbollah. Suspected of controlling several other mosques and organisations, the raids included properties in Munich and Frankfurt.
Among the shut-down satellite groups were the Centre of Islamic Culture in Frankfurt, the Islamic Association of Bavaria, and the Islamic Centre in Berlin.
Several MPs, including opposition conservative Christoph de Vries, expressed that the ban was long overdue. The Blue Mosque, notable for its blue ornate tiles, is one of Germany’s oldest mosques and part of the country’s estimated 2,500 religious structures.
German public media Deutsche Welle reported that the ICH is considered an extension of the Iranian regime, with prior raids establishing its connection to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group backed by Iran, is classified as a terrorist organisation by the United States and the European Union. Germany outlawed it in 2020.
The German Interior Ministry’s statement on the ICH ban underscored that the organisation “promotes an Islamist-extremist, totalitarian ideology” opposing human dignity, women’s rights, an independent judiciary, and democratic governance. The statement clarified that the ban does not target the peaceful practice of the Shiite religion but specifically Islamist extremists.
As part of the enforcement, the government raided 53 properties connected to ICH in federal states including Bavaria, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Hesse, Lower Saxony, and North Rhine-Westphalia, and shut down four mosques.
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