Germany bans Hezbollah, raids mosques

France24 ^ | April 30, 2020

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Berlin (AFP) - Germany on Thursday completely banned Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement from carrying out activities on its soil, as police raided mosques and venues linked to the group.

Like the European Union, Germany had until now only outlawed Hezbollah's military wing while tolerating its political wing.

But in a shift immediately welcomed by the United States and Israel, the German interior ministry said it now considered the entire movement a "Shiite terrorist organisation".

"Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation deemed responsible for numerous attacks and kidnappings worldwide," Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told Germany's Bild daily.

The interior minister "has banned the operation of the group" in Germany with immediate effect, his spokesman tweeted.

Raids were taking place in several places across the country, he added.

Dozens of police and special forces stormed mosques and associations linked to Hezbollah in Bremen, Berlin, Dortmund and Muenster in the early hours of the morning, German media reported.

The Al-Irshad mosque in Berlin was sealed off with at least 16 police vans parked outside, an AFP photographer saw. Masked police officers were seen walking in and out of the mosque.

Although Hezbollah has no official presence in Germany, security forces estimate it has roughly a thousand members in the country.

They are thought to use Germany as a safe haven to make plans, recruit sympathisers and raise funds, including through criminal activities.

[jmacusa]

Islam and Germany have a history. At times a rather friendly one. Especially in two world wars.

[gogeo]

For a minute I was looking for the Babylon Bee byline. Totally unexpected.

Germany had until now only outlawed Hezbollah's military wing while tolerating its political wing.

What is this military/political wing fiction?

[FES0844]

Done during Ramadumb. Wow. Bravo!

[Blue Highway]

How long has it taken for them to figure this out? 30 years?

[Maskot]

Only one of them...

[jocon307]

What brought this about?

[NFHale]

RE Only One:

Yeah, probably the LEFT one... :^)

But it’s a start.

[angcat]

I wonder the same. Angela invited these savages in and now they are rounding them up?

[KobraKai]

The way I remember it, the Islamonuts would hide in their mosques in Iraq, and our guys were told not to pursue and flush them out. Bush/Cheney refused to destroy mosques if terrorists hid in them.

[combat_boots]

They’re not mosques. They’re munitions storage fronts.

[caww]

Germany bans Hezbollah, raids mosques

[bert]

——no official presence——

What is “official presence”?

Hezbollah is officially an Iranian surrogate, a cut out to provide blameless Iranian terrorism

[Charles Martel]

He's just as proud as he can be
Of his theology,
He's going to give us a peek...

[Mark17]

I don’t want to see that dude showing off his physique. 😁

[SunkenCiv]

How touching.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

Better late than never I suppose.

[SgtHooper]

I am puzzled as well! Must be some back story to this that will blow this move outta the water.

[SgtHooper]

Yet the rotten muzzies were burning churches full of Christians in Africa. I loath our cowardice government for giving mosques a pass.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Hooray!

Now if only WE would raid a mosque.

It’s disgusting how my own region suddenly sprouted mosques everywhere, including in our countryside next to our few remaining farms (which now includes a children’s farm!).

Damned liberals. They let them flood in AFTER 9/11. Mustn’t show prejudice, you know!