August 30, 2019 | The Jerusalem Post
German Hezbollah mosque: We’re proud of terrorism
According to the intelligence document reviewed by the Post, the number of Hezbollah members climbed from 105 in 2017 to 110 in 2018 in North Rhine-Westphalia.
August 30, 2019 | The Jerusalem Post
German Hezbollah mosque: We’re proud of terrorism
According to the intelligence document reviewed by the Post, the number of Hezbollah members climbed from 105 in 2017 to 110 in 2018 in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The Hezbollah mosque in the German city of Münster posted a shocking video on its Facebook page in December, announcing it was proud of terrorism and its allegiance to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), an independent, nonpartisan press-monitoring organization, first revealed the video and wrote on its website, “Poem Recited in a Münster, Germany Shiite Mosque: We Have Pledged Allegiance to Khamenei; We Are Accused of Terrorism and Are Proud of It.”
According to a MEMRI transcription of the video from the Imam Mahdi Zentrum Shi’ite mosque in Münster, a man recited a poem with the lyrics, “We have pledged our allegiance to the Jurisprudent Ruler [Khamenei]. We are soldiers willing to sacrifice our lives for Nasrallah [‘Victory of Allah’]. We belong to the party of Ruhollah [Khomeini]. We have been accused of being terrorists – we are proud of terrorism.
“Listen all nations! Listen, oh Wahhabis! The roaring Arab wave will never retreat. The convoys will not wait long with their march. We will not come to you in small numbers. We will come to you from all over. The brigades will cross [the border] from Yemen, and we will pray in Al-Baqi regardless of the [Sunni] Nasibis [haters]. We are the Shi’ites of Ali Bin Abu Taleb, and will only die free.”
In July, The Jerusalem Post reported an increase of Hezbollah members in Germany’s most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where Münster is located. According to the intelligence document reviewed by the Post, the number of Hezbollah members climbed from 105 in 2017 to 110 in 2018 in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Memri further noted that the transcription revealed the Islamist at the Imam Mahdi Zentrum stating: “[Oh Mahdi], our hearts are with you, and our swords are with you. We place our lives in your hands. Our children, our women, and the men of the Lord – their fate is laid upon your threshold. The soil of Yemen has been watered with their blood in the confrontation with the Zionists and the takfiris [Muslims who accuses other Muslims of apostasy]. We have sacrificed [some of] our most previous offspring. In Syria and Iraq, we have written in blood that victory is coming. We have adhered to our loyalty in spite of the hardship, striving for martyrdom on the day of glory.
“Oh Mahdi, death in your cause is the gate to Heaven. Walking in your path is a great honor. We will not scream: ‘If only we were with you.’ We will say from today: ‘We are with you.’ In Syria of Zaynab, we are with you. We are with you in Yemen and in Iraq. We will be with you wherever you go.”
The German intelligence report wrote that “for more than 20 years, the Islamic Center (Imam-Mahdi-Zentrum) in Münster has been a platform and meeting place for Hezbollah supporters in North Rhine-Westphalia and western Germany. Other focal points: Essen/Bottrop, Dortmund and Bad Oeynhausen.”
The 363-page intelligence report, which covers threats to the security of the North Rhine-Westphalia, referenced the Hezbollah 21 times.
Steve Alter, spokesman for the German Interior Ministry – which is responsible for banning terrorist groups – did not immediately respond to a Post query on Wednesday.
Benjamin Weinthal is a European correspondent at The Jerusalem Post and a fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.