Though recognized as a terrorist entity by among others the United States, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Israel, Hezbollah is allowed to operate freely in the European Union. The Iran-backed group has gone so far as to set up a network of mosques on German soil to fundraise:

According to the 2012 report published this month by the domestic intelligence agency, known as the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the terrorist organization finances its activities through “Hezbollah-affiliated mosque associations” and raises funds within the framework of “religious ceremonies” as well as membership contributions…

It is unclear from the report if the Hezbollah funds in Germany are funneled to aid the terrorist group’s efforts in Syria to support the regime of President Bashar Assad. The report showed a steady presence of Hezbollah members in the Federal Republic, 950 members, the same figure for 2011. The intelligence agency’s 2010 report showed the number of Hezbollah members to be 900.

The report comes at a time when criticism of Hezbollah is growing within Germany. German diplomats have repeatedly condemned the group for its activities in Syria on behalf of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

The report explicitly lists Hezbollah’s July 2012 attack on a tourist bus in Burgas, Bulgaria under the category of Islamic terrorism. Nonetheless several E.U. nations are blocking efforts within the Union to formally blacklist the group.

[Photo: Staro1 / Wiki Commons]