The German government banned an organization based in Hamburg on Wednesday, accused of promoting the ideology of Iranian leadership and supporting the Lebanese group Hezbollah, while police raided 53 properties across the country. The German Ministry of the Interior stated that the "Islamic Center in Hamburg" and many of its affiliated organizations throughout Germany were banned following the raids.
The ministry reported that authorities searched 53 properties of the organization in 8 German states early on Wednesday, under a court order. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser indicated that the materials seized during the investigation "confirmed serious suspicions that compelled us to issue the ban."
She added in a statement that the center promotes "extreme and totalitarian Islamic ideology in Germany," while its affiliated organizations "also support Hezbollah terrorists and spread aggressive anti-Semitism." The Interior Ministry claimed that the center, as "the direct representative of the Iranian supreme leader," spreads "the ideology of the Islamic revolution in an aggressive and militant manner and seeks to instigate such a revolution in the Federal Republic of Germany."
The ministry clarified that "this ban does not apply at all to the peaceful practices of the Shia sect." The center, which operates a mosque in Hamburg, has been under surveillance by the German domestic intelligence agency for some time. Last fall, the center stated that it "condemns all forms of violence and extremism, always calling for peace, tolerance, and interfaith dialogue."
The Interior Ministry indicated that due to the ban, the closure of four Shia mosques in Germany is planned, and authorities have initiated the confiscation of the center's assets.
