Protesting the Blue Mosque Lockdown
Here we are again, gathering in Hamburg, this time outside the shuttered Blue Mosque on the outskirts of Alster. This time, we're protesting the seizure of churches initiated by Federal Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser (SPD). Our banners wave in the wind, exclaiming "Faeser is trampling on the Basic Law," and "Return our mosque!"
The Islamic Center Hamburg, the mosque's operating group, had their rights revoked five weeks ago and were labeled as extreme and under Iranian influence by Faeser. Since then, the Blue Mosque remains locked and silent. A speaker before the prayer pleaded, "Our sacred place of worship has been taken from us, even the sight of it has been taken away."
Hamburg's city council 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 asked to gather on a marked-off sidewalk with a parking strip to prevent traffic disruptions. Police officers kept a close eye, monitoring sound ordinances with decibel meters, following recent neighborhood complaints.
"We'll persistently assert our right to pray," the speaker declared. "Even if we must pray in a barn. Then we'll pray there."
Though the SPD started the church confiscation process for the Blue Mosque's operating organization, their stance on this issue is unclear at present. Despite being closed for over five weeks, SPD supporters still rally, crying, "Give us back our mosque!"
Insights:
- Complex Gaming: The Blue Mosque's predicament intertwines political, religious, and international factors.
- Power Play: 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 Stand: Hamburg’s Interior Senator, Andy Grote, has detailed the mosque's future, highlighting its role as a religious and cultural center, not bound to Tehran, while the state maintains ownership.
- Investigation and Ban: The inspection of the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH) by Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, led to the mosque's closure and subsequent lawsuit by the IZH. The federal government retains possession of the building until a final decision is made.
- Unclear Future: The mosque's future remains uncertain, with various factions debating potential uses for the building, such as reopening it as a mosque or transforming it into a cultural center. The SPD's position on these scenarios is not easily discerned from current sources.
Extra Reading:
- The SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany) does not have a clear stand on the future of the Blue Mosque in Hamburg, Germany, as the mosque controversy involves a broader range of political, religious, and international intricacies. The SPD is part of the German government, but the specific treatment of the Blue Mosque has been driven by the federal government's efforts to address Iranian influence in Germany, particularly following the investigation into the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH) and the subsequent ban on the IZH and its associated mosques, including the Blue Mosque [2].
- The SPD's future actions regarding the Blue Mosque await a decision from the Federal Administrative Court. Hamburg Interior Senator Andy Grote has outlined criteria for the mosque's future, emphasizing that it should continue to serve as a religious and cultural center, but free from Tehran's influence. However, no specific stance from the SPD has been reported in relation to this controversy [2].
