Germany Bans Activities of the Islamic Center of Hamburg

German media reported that police forces stormed the Islamic Center of Hamburg and over 50 affiliated centers from the early hours of Wednesday, August 25, declaring their activities banned. The German Minister of the Interior stated in a statement that the evidence collected during investigations 'confirmed serious suspicions to the extent that we issued the ban today.' Nancy Faeser added: 'The Islamic Center of Hamburg promotes extremist Islamist and totalitarian ideology in Germany, and its subsidiaries also support Hezbollah terrorists.' According to this ministry, the association managing the Islamic Center of Hamburg, known as the 'Blue Mosque,' violates the constitutional order of the Federal Republic and spreads anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli incitements. The German Ministry of the Interior further stated that representatives of the mosque have previously praised 'violent actions of terrorist organizations like Hamas and supported banned terrorist organizations like Hezbollah.' Nancy Faeser, the Minister of the Interior, stated that this action was taken due to 'extremism and anti-Jewish incitements.' Reports indicate that related centers in Berlin were also inspected on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador on Wednesday to protest the ban on the activities and closure of the Islamic Center of Hamburg and over 50 affiliated centers. This center has been under the scrutiny of the federal government for months. At least ten months have passed since the German Federal Ministry of the Interior began searching for evidence to justify a potential ban on the activities of this center on November 16, when they entered the Islamic Center of Hamburg and dozens of its affiliated offices. After this period, Nancy Faeser, the German Minister of the Interior, signed the order to shut down and end the activities of this Islamic center. The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution had previously stated that there is evidence indicating that this Islamic center is 'an important propaganda center for Iran in Europe' and 'the arm of the Islamic Republic.' Following the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7 of last year, the German Bundestag unanimously requested the Olaf Scholz government to 'work to close the Islamic Center of Hamburg.' The State Office for the Protection of the Constitution in August of last year announced that the 'Islamic Cultural Center of Frankfurt' and the 'Blue Mosque of Hamburg' are connected to both the 'Islamic Republic' and the 'Muslim Brotherhood' in Egypt and are attempting to spread their radical Islamic ideology. Voice of America previously reported that according to a ruling from the Hamburg Administrative Court, the Islamic Center of the city, also known as the 'Blue Mosque,' has been classified among 'extremist Islamist organizations.' Hamburg government officials issued an expulsion order for 'Soleiman Mousavifar,' the deputy head of the 'Islamic Center of Hamburg,' in June 2022, and three months later expelled him from Germany. At that time, German officials expressed confidence that Soleiman Mousavifar supports extremist Shia militia organizations and terrorist organizations. Report by Sara Damavandan on the protest gathering of Iranians in front of the Islamic Center of Hamburg. Germany's efforts to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. German police inspected the 'Islamic Center of Hamburg' and dozens of its affiliated offices. The government of Hesse state called the Islamic Center of Frankfurt a threat to 'national security' in Germany. Hamburg Administrative Court confirmed the classification of the Islamic Center as an extremist Islamist organization. The Secular Islam Association of Germany called for the cessation of cooperation with the Central Council of Muslims.