HAMBURG, Germany: Germany banned the Hamburg Islamic Centre on Wednesday due to its alleged support for Hezbollah and links to Iran.
The Interior Ministry stated that the centre, which claimed to be a purely religious organization, was actually found to be pursuing anti-constitutional objectives.
The ministry accused the centre of acting as a direct representative of Iran’s supreme leader, spreading Tehran’s ideology aggressively, and seeking to replace democracy with authoritarian, theocratic rule.
Additionally, the centre was accused of backing the military and political activities of organizations like Hezbollah and propagating anti-Semitism.
In a nationwide crackdown, investigators raided 53 properties linked to the centre, and the ban extends to several affiliated organizations, including four Shiite mosques. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser clarified that the action targets Islamist extremists, not the peaceful practice of the Shiite religion.
Founded by Iranian immigrants in 1953, the Hamburg Islamic Centre had been under surveillance for some time, with sweeping raids conducted in November. The recent ban follows the gathering of extensive evidence confirming the centre’s extremist activities. The regional government of Hamburg supported the decision, with state interior minister Andy Grote describing it as a significant blow against Islamist extremism.
