Hamburg Mosque Used by 9/11 Attackers Shut Down

A small Hamburg mosque once frequented by the 9/11 attackers was shut down and searched today because German authorities believed the prayer house was again being used as a meeting point for Islamic radicals. The Taiba mosque was closed and the cultural association that runs it was banned. "We have closed the mosque because it was a recruiting and meeting point for Islamic radicals who wanted to participate in so-called jihad or holy war," said a spokesman for the Hamburg state interior ministry.

The homes of leading members of the cultural association were also searched and the group's assets were confiscated, Hamburg's state government said. The local interior ministry said about 45 supporters of jihad live in the Hamburg area and around 200 people regularly attend Friday prayers at the Taiba mosque. Over the years, the mosque also became a magnet for so-called jihad tourists—Muslims from out of town who bragged about having worshiped at the same mosque where the 9/11 terrorists once gathered for prayer. (More Hamburg stories.)