Why Germany Shut Down Multiple Mosques This Week

The German federal government has shut down four mosques, including the famous ‘Blue Mosque’ in its Hamburg city, for allegedly supporting Islamic extremism.

The mosques are attached to an organisation named Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg (that translates to Islamic Center Hamburg or ICH), which Germany banned on Wednesday.

German authorities say ICH acts as a front for the Iranian regime, propagating an "Islamist-extremist" and "totalitarian ideology" besides "aggressive anti-semitism".

The Blue Mosque, so called because of the blue ornate tiles it is made of, is named Imam Ali Mosque and is one of the oldest mosques in Germany, which is estimated to have about 2,500 of these religious structures.

As per German public state-owned media Deutsche Welle, Germany's intelligence agencies say the ICH is considered an extension of the Iranian regime in Germany, and prior raids have established a connect with Hizbollah.

Hizbollah is a Lebanese militant group backed by Iran, and is considered a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union. Germany outlawed it in 2020.

On the ICH ban, the Germany Interior Ministry issued a statement that said it "banned the Hamburg Islamic Centre and its affiliated organizations throughout Germany to date, as it is an Islamist extremist organization pursuing anti-constitutional objectives". 

The statement quotes Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser saying the organisation “promotes an Islamist-extremist, totalitarian ideology in Germany” which “is opposed to human dignity. women’s rights, an independent judiciary and our democratic government.”

The statement added that the move should not be seen as being against a religion.

“We are drawing a clear distinction between the Islamist extremists that we are cracking down on and the many Muslims who belong to our country and live according to their faith. This ban absolutely does not apply to the peaceful practice of the Shiite religion,” the statement said.

Read the full statement here.

As part of the development, the government raided 53 properties connected to ICH in federal states such as Bavaria, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, besides closing down four mosques.