German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced that the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH) would be banned for promoting extremism, and the famous “Blue Mosque” was searched by police.

“It is very important for me to make a clear distinction here: We are not acting against a religion,” Faeser said, stressing that the action was aimed at a group accused of undermining the German state and women’s rights.

The Imam Ali Mosque, known locally as the Blue Mosque, is one of the oldest mosques in Germany and is managed by the IZH. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned the German ambassador over the ban, the Iranian state news agency IRNA reported.

According to Germany’s domestic intelligence service, the IZH is seen as an extension of the Iranian regime in Germany and is said to have significant influence over a number of mosques and associations.

Faeser stated that the IZH was under investigation for “spreading aggressive anti-Semitism” and that raids in November showed it had ties to Hezbollah, leading to the ban.

The Interior Ministry announced that it has “banned the Islamic Center Hamburg and its affiliated organizations throughout Germany for now, as it is an extremist Islamic organization that pursues anti-constitutional goals.” The ministry accused the IZH of spreading Iranian revolutionary ideas “in an aggressive and militant manner.”

53 properties linked to the IZH were searched, and there had been calls from Hamburg residents for years to investigate the group. Affiliated institutions in several states were also investigated, and four mosques were closed.

In 2020, Germany banned Hezbollah and its activities on German soil, and last year the Interior Ministry said the IZH was suspected of “acting contrary to the constitutional order” and “supporting the terrorist organization Hezbollah.”