BERLIN, Sept. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- German authorities announced on Monday two Islamic groups have been banned for their involvement in supporting extremist organizations.

    Yatim Kinderhilfe, or Yatim Help for Children, was based in the western German town of Essen. It was banned for allegedly raising money for a radical Hamas group.

    Another group, a publisher based in Neu Isenburg called E. Xani,was outlawed for its suspected support of the Kurdish rebel PKK group, which was considered a terrorist organization by the UnitedStates and the European Union.

    The PKK has been staging a violent campaign against the Turkishgovernment for an independent Kurdish state since 1978.

    Yatim Kinderhilfe was set up from the remnants of the extremistAl-Aqsa Foundation which was banned in 2002.

    "The German government is determined to act against any activities with an extremist or terrorist background," German Interior Minister Otto Schily said in a statement.

    The statement said that the government would not tolerate such organizations using Germany to organize and regroup outside their home countries, whether they were religious or not. Enditem