Large police force raids the Blue Mosque
The police are securing the raid at the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH) with a large contingent. More than 30 police cars drove up to the Blue Mosque on the Alster in the early hours of Thursday morning, said a dpa photo reporter. Police officers, some of them wearing helmets, cordoned off the grounds of the mosque and the associated buildings. The situation was generally calm. Only morning joggers and cyclists had expressed surprise at the large-scale operation, he said.
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, more than 50 other properties in seven federal states were searched in addition to the Blue Mosque in connection with the ban proceedings against the IZH and its associated institutions.
For many years, the IZH has been classified by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution as Islamist and controlled by Iran. It is regarded as the extended arm of Theran in Europe.
The searches conducted by the police were not limited to the Blue Mosque, as over 50 other properties linked to the IZH and its institutions were also raided due to extremism concerns. Subsequently, the need for heightened police presence to maintain order and prevent any potential escalation of extremist activities becomes paramount.
Source: www.dpa.com
