Controversial Swiss mosque to shut down after Ramadan

The mosque was raided last year when its Imam incited followers to to murder other Muslims who refused to take part in communal prayers Keystone

The An’Nur mosque in Winterthur that has long been suspected of having links to radical Islamic movements will finally cease to exist because the rental contract for the premises will not be renewed. 

Atef Sahnoun, the president of the An’Nur cultural association that runs the mosque, confirmed the closure to the paper SonntagsBlick. The mosque, located north of Zurich, was originally slated to close by the end of 2016, as the company that owned the property refused to renew the long-term lease. However, a temporary extension was obtained after a conciliation meeting in January. 

The mosque was raided in November 2016, after its Imam was accused of having called on worshippers to murder other Muslims who refused to take part in communal prayers. The umbrella association of Islamic organisations in Zurich (VIOZ) had suspended the mosque after the incident. However, the place of worship made the news again in February after some of its members attacked two people inside the mosque for sharing information on the same Imam’s speech with journalists. 

In the past, the An’Nur mosque had denied accusations that it is involved in radicalising its members. Suspicions were raised when the media identified six Winterthur residents as having travelled to Syria to fight.