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Islamism: Seehofer bans Ansaar association - raids in ten federal states

2021-05-05T23:14:19.767Z


Ansaar International presents itself as a humanitarian aid project - in the background, however, the association is about terror support, say the security authorities.


Ansaar International presents itself as a humanitarian aid project - in the background, however, the association is about terror support, say the security authorities.

Berlin - Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU *) has banned the Islamist association Ansaar International and its sub-organizations.

The network finances terrorism worldwide with donations, tweeted Seehofer's spokesman Steve Alter on Wednesday.

"If you want to fight terrorism, you have to dry up your sources of money," Seehofer was quoted as saying.

The organization ban has been enforced with searches in ten federal states since the early hours of the morning, as the Federal Ministry of the Interior announced.

In addition to Ansaar International, nine other sub-organizations that are assigned to the association acting as an aid organization have also been banned.


According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior *, according to the statutes, the organization's purpose is to support projects for needy Muslims.

The collected donations would, however, "not only be used for humanitarian purposes, but in particular to support terrorist organizations," said the ministry.

In 2018 alone, the organization claims that it raised between eight and ten million euros in donations.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, this money goes to terrorist organizations, both in the form of direct cash flows and through the support of charitable projects in the vicinity of such organizations.

This financial support helps the terrorist organizations to secure "their power and dominance in the respective region".

Federal Minister of the Interior Seehofer also bans Ansaar searches in the southwest

Ansaar International also violated the constitutional order through “missionary activities”, the ministry said.

According to this, children from Germany are to be sent to the organization's facilities in order to internalize “Salafist-extremist content” and to bring them to Germany.

Because the organization conceals cash flows from its donors and issues false donation receipts, there is also suspicion of systematic forgery.

In April there had already been a raid in North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria.

It was directed against three suspects alleged to have raised funds for Ansaar International and related organizations.


The Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor's Office announced in April that those responsible for the association were being investigated on suspicion of supporting organizations such as Jabhat al-Nusra involved in the civil war in Syria.

Ansaar International is classified as extremist Salafist by the North Rhine-Westphalian Office for the Protection of the Constitution.


Bavaria's Interior Minister Herrmann: "A sensitive blow against terrorist financing"

The Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) welcomed the association ban.

"This is a sensitive blow to terrorist financing and Salafist proselytizing in Germany," explained Herrmann.

Those who support terrorist organizations are not providing humanitarian aid, but rather bring “the highly commendable commitment of the numerous reputable aid organizations into disrepute”.

The Baden-Wuerttemberg Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU *) declared: "We are taking all means of the rule of law against Islamists." Those who support Islamists get "to feel the full rigor of the law. We have a very clear zero tolerance strategy ”.

(AFP / frs)

* Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-05-05

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