Standing Strong at the Locked Blue Mosque
Once more, a passionate crowd of around eighty individuals gathered on a Friday, this time rallying outside the locked Blue Mosque on Hamburg's outskirts by Alster. They were vocal against the church seizure spearheaded by Federal Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser (SPD). Banners waved in the wind, declaring "Faeser is trampling on the Basic Law," and "We want our mosque back."
Faeser had stripped the mosque's operating group, the Islamic Center Hamburg, labeled as extreme and under Iranian control, of its rights five weeks earlier. Since then, the Blue Mosque has stood silent. A speaker, before the actual prayer, argued, "Our traditional place of worship has been taken from us, even the sight of it has been taken away."
The city council of Hamburg enforced a rule on Thursday, stating that the Friday prayer was no longer permitted on Schönes Panorama Street in front of the mosque. Instead, participants were urged to gather at a distance on a marked-off sidewalk with a parking strip to prevent traffic disruptions. Police officers monitored compliance with sound ordinances, using decibel meters, as neighbors had lodged complaints in recent weeks.
"We'll persistently assert our right to pray," the speaker proclaimed. "Even if we must pray in a barn. Then we'll pray there."
While the SPD initiated the church confiscation of the Blue Mosque's operating organization, their stance in this matter is ambiguous at present. Despite being banned from operation for over five weeks, the SPD's supporters continued to congregate protesting, "Give us back our mosque."
Here are some insights:
- Complex Scenarios: The Blue Mosque's current predicament entangles political, religious, and international components.
- Power Struggle: The mosque has been closed for over six months, as various groups, including the Iranian diaspora, Shia clerics, and others, contest control over the mosque.
- Government Position: Hamburg’s Interior Senator, Andy Grote, has outlined the mosque's future, emphasizing its function as a religious and cultural center independent of Tehran, while the state maintains ownership.
- Investigation and Ban: The investigation into the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH) prompted by Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, culminated in the mosque's closure and subsequent lawsuit by the IZH. The federal government retains possession of the building until a final decision is made.
- Uncertain Future: The mosque's future remains uncertain, with several groups debating potential purposes for the building, such as reopening it as a mosque or establishing a cultural center. The SPD's position on these prospects is not easily discerned from current sources.
