Germany Officially Bans Muslim Associations IZH for Promoting Extremism and Radical Islam After Trial and Raids

Germany's Interior Ministry said on Wednesday that it has banned the Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH) association and its subsidiaries, claiming they pursue radical Islamist goals.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Wednesday that the Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH) would be banned for promoting extremism, and its famous Blue Mosque was being searched by police.

‘It is very important for me to make a clear distinction here: we are not acting against religion,’ said Faeser, but only against a group accused of undermining the German state and women's rights.

The Imam Ali Mosque, known locally as the Blue Mosque, is one of the oldest mosques in Germany and is run by IZH.

Authorities in eight German states searched 53 premises of the organisation on Wednesday morning following a court order, the ministry said in a statement. In addition to the Hamburg IZH, which includes one of the oldest mosques in Germany, known for its turquoise appearance, its subgroups in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin were also banned. 

The Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH) has been under investigation for several months for its support of the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah. Germany classifies Hezbollah as a terrorist group, considered an extension of the Iranian regime in Germany and believed to have significant influence over certain mosques and associations, according to German domestic intelligence.