- About 200 Muslims pray outside the closed Blue Mosque
Before the closed Blue Mosque in Hamburg, around 200 people participated in a Friday prayer. There were no incidents, a police spokesperson said. The operator of the Shia mosque on the Alster, the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH), had been banned by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) on July 24. Men and women gathered in separate groups in front of the Imam Ali Moschee. An imam was also present. Already on Thursday evening and on Thursday and Friday of the previous week, more than 200 people had prayed in front of the building at times.
Ban on the Islamic Center Hamburg
Faeser had described the Islamic Center Hamburg as "a significant propaganda center of Iran in Europe." The association, as a direct representation of the Iranian "Supreme Leader," spreads the ideology of the so-called Islamic Revolution in Germany in an aggressive and combative manner, according to a statement from the ministry. Nationwide, the police had seized assets and facilities of the center and five of its subsidiary organizations. This also places the Blue Mosque initially under federal administration.**
Despite the ban on the Islamic Center Hamburg, the nearby Blue Mosque still attracted a crowd for Friday prayers. Even after the Imam Ali Moschee was prohibited, people continued to gather for prayers, demonstrating the mosque's significant influence in the community.
