Extremism - Grote still in favor of "prompt closure" after IZH raid
Just over a month after the raid during investigations into the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH), Interior Senator Andy Grote (SPD) continues to back a "prompt closure". Nothing has changed in the senator's position, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry told the German Press Agency. He also referred to a resolution passed by the Conference of Interior Ministers at the beginning of December, according to which a further determined fight against Islamist organizations and groups is considered urgently necessary. The Federal Ministry of the Interior had been asked to examine and implement further bans on activities and associations, "in particular for the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH)".
The Federal Ministry of the Interior itself did not wish to comment on the current status of the proceedings. A spokeswoman told dpa that it was generally unable to comment on possible bans on associations. "Otherwise, there would be a risk that those potentially affected would align their behavior accordingly, which could impair the effectiveness of operational official measures or thwart them."
During the raid on November 16, the police searched 54 properties in seven federal states. In Hamburg alone, 31 search and seizure warrants were executed - in the Blue Mosque on the Alster operated by the IZH and in other properties. The IZH, which is controlled by Iran and classified as extremist, has been monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution since the early 1990s. There have been calls for it to be closed for years, but little has actually happened to date.
In November last year, the Bundestag called on the federal government to consider a ban procedure. The Hamburg Parliament has also already taken action and called on the Senate to lobby for the closure of the IZH in Berlin. After the raid, Grote said that he "assumes that these proceedings will now be brought to a consistent conclusion and that the IZH will be closed in the near future".
Tehran had congratulated the Islamist Hamas on its attack on Israel. The regime finances Hamas in Gaza and the radical Islamic Hezbollah in Lebanon. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the security authorities are investigating the suspicion that the IZH also supports Hezbollah activities, which are banned from operating in Germany. The IZH itself denies any guilt and recently expressed confidence that the results of the search would not reveal any grounds for banning the association.
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- The Conference of Interior Ministers, including Andy Grote from Berlin, agreed at the beginning of December that a more decisive fight against Islamist organizations is necessary in Germany.
- The Federal Ministry of the Interior in Germany was asked to examine and implement further bans on activities and associations, especially for the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH) following calls from the Bundestag and Hamburg Parliament.
- Andy Grote, the SPD Interior Senator, continues to advocate for the "prompt closure" of the IZH, citing the raid and resolution from the Conference of Interior Ministers as reasons.
- The Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH), a monitoring target of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution since the 1990s, has been under scrutiny for its alleged support of Hezbollah activities, which are banned in Germany.
- During the raid on November 16, German police conducted searches at 54 properties in seven federal states, including the IZH-operated Blue Mosque in Hamburg and other properties, seeking evidence of extremist activities and illegal associations.
- The Grote-led Berlin Senate has been urged to lobby for the closure of the IZH by the Hamburg Parliament, adding to the pressure on the Federal Ministry of the Interior to take action against the extremist organization.
Source: www.stern.de
