Germany on Wednesday prohibited the Hamburg Islamic Centre know as IZH, a Muslim religious association that had been scrutinized for several months due to its alleged backing of the Iranian-supported Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon.
German Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, stated that the IZH “promotes an Islamist-extremist, totalitarian ideology in Germany,” and that it, along with its sub-organizations, “also support the terrorists of Hezbollah and spread aggressive antisemitism.”
According to the interior ministry, authorities, acting on a court order, searched 53 of the organization’s premises across eight German states early Wednesday.
The ministry noted that evidence from an earlier search of 55 properties in November led to the current ban of the IZH.
The ban extends to the IZH’s subgroups in Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin. This decision will result in the closure of four Shiite mosques in Germany, and the confiscation of the IZH’s assets.
Germany, which designated Hezbollah a terrorist organization and prohibited its activities in 2020, has taken a firm stance against the group.
Faeser accused the IZH of acting as the “direct representative of Iran’s ‘Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution,’” disseminating the “ideology of the Islamic Revolution in an aggressive and militant way” and aiming to instigate such a revolution in Germany.
Faeser emphasized that “this Islamist ideology is opposed to human dignity, women’s rights, an independent judiciary, and our democratic government,” clarifying that the ban “absolutely does not apply to the peaceful practice of the Shiite religion.”
Founded by Iranian immigrants in 1953, the Hamburg Islamic Centre and its Imam Ali Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, have long been under domestic intelligence surveillance.
There have been increasing calls to shut down the mosque due to its alleged ties to Iran.
Despite the IZH’s statement last fall condemning “every form of violence and extremism” and advocating for “peace, tolerance, and interreligious dialogue,” the center was not available for comment, and its website was inaccessible on Wednesday morning.
The ban on IZH coincides with ongoing attacks by Hezbollah-led forces on Israeli communities and military posts along the Israel-Lebanon border, which began on October 8 in support of Gaza amidst the conflict there.
It also comes amid a rise in antisemitism in Germany and globally following the Hamas terror group’s October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the taking of 251 hostages, igniting the ongoing war.
