Germany bans group accused of Iran links and Hezbollah support, carries out raids

BERLIN (AP) — The German government has banned a Hamburg-based organization accused of promoting the Iranian leadership’s ideology and supporting Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group. Police raided 53 properties around the country on Wednesday. The ban of the Islamic Center Hamburg, or IZH, and various suborganizations followed searches in November. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said material gathered in the investigation “confirmed the serious suspicions to such a degree that we ordered the ban today.” She says IZH promoted an extremist, totalitarian ideology in Germany while its suborganizations supported Hezbollah and spread aggressive antisemitism. The IZH says it condemns every form of violence and has always advocated for peace, tolerance, and interreligious dialogue.