Germany has banned a purported aid organization, Ansaar International, and linked it for collecting donations in subsequently financing terrorism worldwide.
The prohibition came along with a series of raids on properties in ten states, with investigators also seizing items.
According to Germany Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, Ansaar International and its related organizations have been banned to conduct any fundraising in the country. Interior Ministry in a tweet also highlighted that the network is known finances terrorism worldwide with donations.
Ansaar International ‘finances terrorism worldwide with donations’ while purporting to support charitable projects for Muslims. “To fight terror, one must dry up its sources of money,” Interior Minister Horst Seehofer added
The NGO based in Duesseldorf says in its statutes that its purpose is to support projects for Muslims worldwide. In 2018 alone, it collected 8 to 10 million euros in donations, according to its first chairman.
The interior ministry, however reiterated that the funds are in fact raised with the intention of financing foreign groups such as Palestinian terror group Hamas as well as the Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab and Jabhat al-Nusra besides other terror organizations.
“Financial support, even for what at first glance appear to be charitable activities, secures the terrorist groups’ power and dominance in the respective region, facilitates the recruitment of activists, and saves the terrorist group money, which in turn can be used to carry out the crimes it plans,” said the ministry.
