The German government banned the Islamic center in Hamburg
The German government officially banned the Islamic Center of Hamburg (IZH) on July 24. German domestic intelligence reported that the center is under Iranian influence. As part of the ban, a total of four Shiite mosques were closed in Germany, TRT reported.
To enforce the ban, German police conducted inspections at the IZH, also known as the Blue Mosque in Hamburg, at the Imam Ali Mosque. This Shia mosque, run by IZH, is located in a prestigious area on the shores of Alster Lake in Hamburg.
Around the same time, several police officers raided the building of a Shiite organization in the Tempelhof district of Berlin.
The German domestic intelligence service classified the IZH as an extremist organization. Interior Minister Nancy Feser said the IZH "promotes an Islamic extremist totalitarian ideology in Germany".
"This Islamic ideology is against human dignity, women's rights, independent judiciary and our democratic government," the minister said.
He stated that IZH acts as "the representative of Iran's Supreme Leader" and spreads this ideology in an "aggressive and militant" manner.
"It is very important for me to make a clear distinction here: we are not doing anything against religion," Feser clarified, assuring that the ban would not affect the peaceful practices of Shiites.
There are between 150 and 200 Shia communities in Germany.
Iran's state news agency Irna summoned Germany's ambassador to Tehran on July 25 following reports of raids on Shia mosques in Germany and the closure of an Islamic center. The Iranian government called the policy of the German government "unacceptable".
German intelligence has been monitoring IZH since the 1990s, and there have been active calls from German MPs to close the center for almost all of that time. The German parliament has repeatedly called on the government to assess whether it is possible to close IZH completely. The center is now closed, its activities are declared extremist and banned in Germany. The Center itself did not comment on the situation; its website does not exist.
