Extremist Islamic Association - Raids at the Islamic Center Berlin
In connection with the ban of the Islamic Center Hamburg and its affiliated organizations, the police searched four objects in Berlin early in the morning. This included the Islamic Center Berlin in Berlin-Tempelhof and three apartments, as a spokeswoman of the Interior Administration announced. Several dozens of officers were involved in the operation.
"Today's measures show that persistent attacks on our central principles such as democracy and the rule of law will not be tolerated," stated Senator for the Interior Iris Spranger (SPD). "Furthermore, I reiterate that hate and incitement against Jews, Jewish women and Israeli citizens in Berlin will not be tolerated. The demand for a respectful coexistence of every person's dignity can never be emphasized enough."
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) has banned the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH) and its affiliated organizations because, according to her ministry's assessment, they propagate the establishment of an authoritarian-Islamic rule. A total of 53 objects were searched in the morning in Hamburg, Bremen, Berlin, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria, as the Federal Interior Ministry announced.
- The ban on the Islamic Center Hamburg and its sub-organizations led to intense discussions within the SPD in Hamburg.
- The police in Hamburg also conducted raids at various locations in response to the federal ban, following the lead from the searches in Berlin's Templehof and three apartments.
- Extremist views had been detected within the Islamic Center Hamburg, leading Germany's authorities to take drastic measures to prevent the spread of radical ideologies.
- The SPD, in unison with Germany's law enforcement, was dedicated to maintaining peace and security, especially against the backdrop of growing concerns related to extremism.
- The SPD voiced its support for the ban, adding that rejection of hate speech and religious intolerance was a key principle in their agenda for harmonious coexistence.
