Al-Quds Mosque Hamburg
Encyclopedia
Al-Quds Mosque Hamburg was a mosque
in Hamburg
, Germany
that preached a radical form of Sunni Islam
. Al-Quds is where some of the September 11 attackers including Mohamed Atta
, attended and met one another, forming the Hamburg cell
.
, in the St. Georg
section of Hamburg.
Unlike many other mosques in Hamburg which cater to Persians and the Turkish population, al-Quds served Hamburg's smaller Arab population. Under leadership of Iman
Mohammed al Fizazi, the mosque preached a radical version of Sunni Islam. Other leaders at the mosque have included Sheik Azid al Kirani.
The prayer room for men is carpeted, located on the first floor, and can accommodate up to 400. It is one of the Masjids with a radical interpretation of Islam and its practice, namely the way of the Salaf As-Salih.. On Fridays, the mosque usually had around 250 in attendance.
.
German authorities discovered that 10 members of the mosque had traveled to the border region of Pakistan
and Afghanistan
, and Shahab D., an Iranian at the mosque, had joined the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
.
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
that preached a radical form of Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
. Al-Quds is where some of the September 11 attackers including Mohamed Atta
Mohamed Atta
Mohamed Mohamed el-Amir Awad el-Sayed Atta was one of the masterminds and the ringleader of the September 11 attacks who served as the hijacker-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11, crashing the plane into the North Tower of the World Trade Center as part of the coordinated attacks.Born in 1968...
, attended and met one another, forming the Hamburg cell
Hamburg cell
The Hamburg cell was, according to U.S. and German intelligence agencies, a group of radical Islamists based in Hamburg, Germany that included students who eventually came to be key operatives in the 9/11 attacks...
.
History
The mosque opened in 1993, and was run by the Taiba German-Arab Cultural Association. It occupied a three-story building near the Hauptbahnhof rail station in a red-light districtRed-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
, in the St. Georg
St. Georg, Hamburg
St. Georg is a central quarter in the borough Hamburg-Mitte of Hamburg, Germany. In 2006 the population was 10,551.-History:In 1410 the articles 17 and 18 of a contract between the Senate and the citizens were regulating the accommodation of the patients in the hospital St. Georg . This hospital...
section of Hamburg.
Unlike many other mosques in Hamburg which cater to Persians and the Turkish population, al-Quds served Hamburg's smaller Arab population. Under leadership of Iman
Iman (concept)
Iman is an Arabic term which denotes certitude or adherence to an idea. In Islamic theology, it refers to the inner aspect of the religion, and denotes a believer's faith in the metaphysical realities of Islam. The term Iman has been delineated in both the Quran as well as the famous Hadith of...
Mohammed al Fizazi, the mosque preached a radical version of Sunni Islam. Other leaders at the mosque have included Sheik Azid al Kirani.
The prayer room for men is carpeted, located on the first floor, and can accommodate up to 400. It is one of the Masjids with a radical interpretation of Islam and its practice, namely the way of the Salaf As-Salih.. On Fridays, the mosque usually had around 250 in attendance.
2010 shut down
The mosque was shut down by German security officials in August 2010 amid suspicion that the mosque was again being used as a meeting place for Islamic extremists involved in the 2010 European terror plot2010 European terror plot
The 2010 European terror plot was an alleged Pakistan-based Al-Qaeda plot to launch "commando-style" terror attacks on France, United Kingdom, and Germany. The existence of the plot was revealed in late September 2010 after it was disrupted by intelligence agencies...
.
German authorities discovered that 10 members of the mosque had traveled to the border region of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and Shahab D., an Iranian at the mosque, had joined the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan is a militant Islamist group formed in 1991 by the Islamic ideologue Tahir Yuldashev, and former Soviet paratrooper Juma Namangani—both ethnic Uzbeks from the Fergana Valley...
.