10 Reasons for a complete ban of Hezbollah in Germany: New Policy Paper of the Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin

Berlin, December 16, 2019

The German government is working on a ban the complete organization Hezbollah, according to media reports. The Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin (MFFB), an independent  organization for policy consulting and political education welcomes this step. So far, both Germany and the EU have only banned the military wing of Hezbollah. Recently, the MFFB has published a policy paper which explains in ten arguments why the separation in a “military” and a “political” wing doesn't make sense and why it is important that there are steps against Hezbollah on a national level in Germany.

The policy paper shows how Hezbollah organizes terrorist attacks globally, but also how the organization is involved in criminal and drug related activities. In Germany, Hezbollah is working with criminal clans to launder money and trade drugs. Moreover, the organization collects donations in Germany and radicalizes Muslim youths via certain Mosques, internet platforms and a TV Station. Each year, members of Hezbollah participate in the antisemitic Al-Quds march in Berlin. Hezbollah has committed heinous crimes against humanity in Syria, where it is fighting to support the dictator Bashar al-Assad as ordered by Teheran. Hezbollah currently brutally suppresses peaceful protests in Lebanon that are directed toward the corrupt leadership and increasingly against Hezbollah itself.

Political scientist and program director of MFFB, Jörg Rensmann, comments: „Hezbollah is a hybrid terror organization with a complex structure: while it acts as a political party in Lebanon, the organization at the same time is an extremist militia that commits heinous crimes against civilians in Syria. In Germany, the Hezbollah is capable to organize acts of terror against both persons and objects at any time. Particularly Israeli and Jewish institutions are threatened, but also exile-Iranians in Germany. The existence of such an organization in Germany is not acceptable. We are pleased that the German government now plans to act against Hezbollah on a national level.“

Read the Policy Paper: www.mideastfreedomforum.org/fileadmin/editors_de/Artikel/Policy_Paper/Mideast_Freedom_Forum_Berlin_-_10_Gruende_fuer_ein_Verbot_der_Hisbollah.pdf