German government bans Muslim group over alleged terror donations
Police raided buildings associated with Ansaar International in 10 German states.
The German government has banned a Muslim organisation accused of supporting terrorism across the globe with its donations.
Police raided buildings associated with Ansaar International in 10 German states, the German interior ministry said.
The ministry alleged the money the organisation collected ostensibly went into welfare projects as a ruse to help finance groups such as the Syrian al-Qaida affiliate known as the Nusra Front, the Palestinian group Hamas and al-Shabab in Somalia.
“The organisation Ansaar International and its suborganisations were banned. The network finances terrorism globally with its donations,” an interior ministry spokesperson tweeted.
More than 1,000 police officers raided buildings and office spaces across Germany and confiscated about 150,000 euro (£130,000).
“When wanting to fight terrorism, one needs to dry out its money sources,” German interior minister Horst Seehofer said.
He alleged that Ansaar International “spreads a Salafist view of the world and is financing terror around the globe under the disguise of humanitarian help”.