Germany bans Islamic center over alleged Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood ties

Berlin — Authorities in the German state of Brandenburg on Thursday banned an Islamic center in the town of Fürstenwalde over alleged affiliations with the militant groups Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. The Interior Ministry of Brandenburg state, which surrounds Berlin, said the decision to force the closure and ban all operations of the Islamic Center Fürstenwalde al-Salam association (IZF) was made after a series of coordinated police raids earlier in the day.

Authorities searched the association’s premises in Fürstenwalde as well as several private residences across Brandenburg and in Berlin, which, like Washington D.C., is an independent region that does not sit within any state’s boundaries.

The operation’s aim was to secure evidence supporting allegations of extremist activities linked to the IZF, the ministry said.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that the IZF was involved in activities “directed against the idea of international understanding and the constitutional order,” justifying the ban. It said about 30 people at the association, which, along with its associated mosque was a relatively small organization, were suspected of connections with Hamas.

Interior Minister Michael Stübgen said Brandenburg was committed to safeguarding democratic values and maintaining public security but said the state “cannot tolerate associations that are directed against the constitutional order or the idea of international understanding.”  

Founded in 2018, the IZF had operated the al-Salam mosque and provided a variety of services to the local Muslim community, including Friday prayers, educational programs, summer camps and religious training for children. 

The Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution, however, classified the IZF an extremist organization in July 2023, citing the promotion of antisemitic narratives, denial of Israel’s right to exist and dissemination of content associated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Muslim Brotherhood was briefly elected to power in Egypt but has since been designated a terrorist organization by the country’s new leadership, which came to power by overthrowing the group. The U.S. government has not formally designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization, but Hamas has carried the designation for more than two decades.

Thursday’s raids around Berlin were part of a broader effort to curb extremism and prevent radicalization, particularly among young people in Germany.

“Young people do not become extremists in a vacuum,” Stübgen said. “There are always perfidious radicalization strategies by extremist organizations behind this.”

“This evil must be tackled at its roots,” he said. “We also owe this to those Muslims who live here in good faith and once fled from Islamists.”

During the raids, the ministry said police seized documents, electronic devices and other items that could show further links between the IZF and extremist propaganda and support for organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood.

The raids came just weeks after authorities in neighboring Austria, acting on intelligence provided by U.S. authorities, foiled an alleged ISIS-linked terror plot to target fans at Taylor Swift Eras Tour concerts in the country, forcing their cancellation.

Germany has faced numerous attacks by extremists, including by people motivated by radical Islam, and the federal and state governments have intensified their commitments to tackle religious and political radicalization by working closely with the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

The German government is also under pressure to show it is addressing the issue amid the rise of far-right, anti-Islam and anti-immigrant nationalist political parties, particularly in the east.