Ban on Islamic Center Near Berlin Due to Anti-Semitism

Germany has banned the activities of an Islamic center near Berlin on charges of links to the terrorist organization Hamas and anti-Semitism.

“Michael Stübgen,” the Interior Minister of Brandenburg state, said in a statement released yesterday: “The activities of the Islamic center ‘Al-Salam’ in Fürstenwalde contradict the constitutional order. We cannot tolerate associations that are opposed to the constitutional order or the concept of solidarity between nations. Stone Age Islamism culture must be stopped to prevent its growth.”

Noting that in recent weeks the German government had issued an order for the expulsion of the director of an Islamic center in Hamburg, he added: “The ban on this center’s activities has also been enforced by police. The group’s premises in the Fürstenwalde area, approximately 80 kilometers southeast of Berlin, and their private residences in Brandenburg and Berlin are currently being searched.”

The reason for banning this Islamic center’s activities is due to its connection with the “Muslim Brotherhood,” which is an Islamic movement founded in Egypt in 1928 and whose activities are also banned. Furthermore, according to the Brandenburg Interior Minister’s statement, the aforementioned Islamic center was also in contact with the terrorist organization Hamas and attempted to spread anti-Semitism.

The statement was issued approximately 10 days before the state elections on September 22, in which immigration and religious extremism play a significant role in the results.

Stübgen, who is from the German Christian Democratic Union, added in his remarks: “Systematically encouraging young people toward extremist ideologies poses dangers. He added that the radicalization methods of treacherous organizations and extremist movements lie behind this. We must confront this evil at its roots.”