Raids against Islamist associations: donations for Hamas?

With alleged fundraising should have supported an Islamist network, the terrorist organization Hamas. The police are now in nine provinces of the objects of the two clubs searched.

Michael götsch mountain, ARD-capital Studio

Since the early Morning, a total of 90 objects are searched in nine provinces. Focus on North Rhine-Westphalia, also held by search in Berlin, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hamburg, Hesse, lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate and Schleswig-Holstein.

In focus of the organization Ansar International and of the closely related Association in the World Wide Resistance Help. Both Clubs and your network before throwing the investigators, to support the Palestinian Hamas, which is classified by the EU, Israel and the United States as a terrorist organisation.

Humanitarian projects, Shops and pilgrimages

Ansar, the security authorities also been suspected to have close contacts with the Salafist scene in Germany. On the Internet, the organization for donations, advertises, to support humanitarian projects around the world. The projects include the construction of wells, the financing of hospitals, orphanages and widow's homes in numerous countries around the world.

so-called Ramadan packages can be purchased. It is needy Muslims in various countries, the almost break through the funding of food parcels to allow, it says on the website of Ansar International.

RAID on the headquarters of the Association Ansar International support for the Hamas?

In addition, the Association distributes on its website, a clothing brand by the name of Ansar Clothing, and operates a Shop in Düsseldorf for clothing, books and cosmetics, as well as a Second-Hand shop in Duisburg. And finally, Ansar offers internationally through a private Agency pilgrimages. The revenues, according to the Association, to the benefit of 100 percent of the funded projects.

money also to other Islamist terrorist organizations?

According to the security authorities, however, it is not only the financing of aid projects. The reason for the searches was the accusation that the network supported the Hamas, both financially and for propaganda purposes. In security circles it's called, hopefully with the help of the search also provides information on the extent to which money in the case of other Islamist terrorist organizations, such as the "Islamic state", has arrived. The evidence is there so far.

Close contacts with the Salafist scene

Ansar International was founded in 2012, has its headquarters in Düsseldorf and is observed from the protection of the Constitution in North Rhine-Westphalia. Overall, the NRW protection of the Constitution Ansar International and its network of extremist Salafism to expect. In fact, this network, as it is called in security circles, the largest radical Islamist network in Germany, the profits with its events again and again new members for the Salafist scene. So it will give close ratios and contact ratios for the Salafist scene.