- Exterior Friday Prayer Services Held at the Blue Mosque
Street worship sessions in front of the renowned Blue Mosque near Hamburg's Außenalster now need to occur away from the sealed worship house. This directive was issued by the assembly authority, making it a condition for the assembly announced on Thursday evening and the Friday prayer, as reported by a police spokesperson to the German Press Agency.
Following the ban on the Islamic Center Hamburg, labeled as extremist, and the official closure of the mosque five weeks prior by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, faithful individuals had been assembling directly on the street Schönes Ausblick for the Friday prayer. Police had closed off the roads surrounding the mosque. The vicinity had expressed dissatisfaction.
Worship permitted only outside the road median
As per the assembly authority's decree, believers are now only allowed to gather on an area beyond the road median in the vicinity of Schönes Ausblick/Karlstraße - located two plots away from the cordoned-off IZH zone. The police spokesperson stated, "This condition aims to minimize disruption for residents and non-involved parties." Additionally, the assembly authority has mandated compliance with sound regulations.
A dispute over jurisdiction had previously arisen. "Since it involved multiple religious events without explicit commentary, the district office of Hamburg-North was temporarily authorized to make decisions concerning the use of public space and any permits for special use," the spokesperson elaborated. However, recent prayers including spoken commentary have led to the transfer of jurisdiction back to the assembly authority.
The faithful petition: "We want our mosque restored"
Last Friday, approximately 100 believers worshipped and demonstrated for the reopening of the worship house on the street before the mosque. A banner read, "We want our mosque back." "We are praying on the street because we have no other alternative," stated an imam. The mosque holds significant religious significance for Shia Muslims and should not be overshadowed by international conflicts.
As per the Interior Ministry's prohibition order, the IZH, controlled by Tehran, seeks to achieve unconstitutional aims by disseminating the ideology of the Iranian Revolution in Germany.
In light of the ban on street worship near the Blue Mosque, faithful individuals are now expected to conduct their Friday prayers beyond the road median on Karlstraße, as instructed by the assembly authority. This move aims to minimize disruptions for local residents and non-involved parties.
Despite the recent relocation of their Friday prayers, Shia Muslims continue to strongly advocate for the reopening of the Blue Mosque, voicing their concerns with a banner that read, "We want our mosque back."
