Islamic group Ansaar banned by Berlin: Minister says they financed terrorism under the guise of humanitarian aid

German police have conducted raids on offices and locations belonging to Ansaar International, after Berlin outlawed the organization on the grounds that it had financed Islamist terrorism around the world.

“If you want to fight terror, you have to dry out their sources of money,” Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer said on Wednesday via Twitter, as he announced that the group had been banned in Germany. “They are spreading the Salafist worldview and financing terror all over the world under the guise of humanitarian aid.” 

In a press release shared by the interior ministry, the government said around 1,000 police officers had participated in raids on Ansaar offices and affiliates across 10 German states. “So far, around €150,000 in cash has been seized,” it added. 

According to Ansaar’s website, the group finances humanitarian aid to people affected by war and crises, including the building of hospitals, orphanages, and schools. 

The Interior Ministry disputed these claims, noting that, “contrary to the company’s own statements, these are not only used for humanitarian purposes, but, in particular, to support terrorist organizations such as Jabhat al-Nusra, Hamas and Al-Shabab.” 

According to Der Tagesspiegel, 70 locations were searched by police officers on Wednesday morning. The operation focused on North Rhine-Westphalia, where the alleged aid organization was founded in 2012. 

In April 2019, the police raided around 90 premises belonging to the organization in nine states, collecting material for a prospective ban.

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