- Muslims praying in front of closed mosque - lawsuit against ban
Nearly three weeks after the ban on the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH), around 200 believers gathered again for a Friday prayer in front of the closed Blue Mosque on the Alster. An English-speaking preacher encouraged the participants, among whom about a third were women: "Of course, it's painful when we can't pray in the mosque," he said. "But it's much more important that our hearts are open. (...) Allah has brought our hearts together."
The participants had unrolled prayer mats on the street in front of the Imam Ali Mosque, as the building is officially known. The police observed the event.
"Iran's Propaganda Center in Europe"
The Islamic Center Hamburg, which operates the mosque, was banned on July 24 by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD). Faeser described the IZH as "a significant propaganda center of Iran in Europe."
The association, as a direct representative of Iran's "Supreme Leader," promotes 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 have seized the assets and facilities of the center and five of its subsidiary organizations. This also means that the Hamburg mosque is initially under federal administration.
Lawsuit at the Federal Administrative Court
The Islamic Cultural Center Frankfurt filed a lawsuit and an urgent application against the ban by the Federal Ministry of the Interior. On Wednesday, both were submitted to the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig, as a spokeswoman announced. The court is now dealing with the matter. The Frankfurt association is one of five subsidiary organizations of the Islamic Center Hamburg.
Despite the ongoing ban on the Islamic Center Hamburg, the community gathered for a passionate Friday Prayer in front of the closed Blue Mosque, with an estimated third of the participants being women. The police kept a watchful eye on the event, as prayer mats were unrolled on the street in front of the Imam Ali Mosque.
