BERLIN: Germany on Wednesday banned the Hamburg Islamic Centre, an association that has been under investigation for several months over its alleged support for Lebanon’s Hezbollah group and its links to Iran. Tehran reacted in fury, summoning Germany’s ambassador to Iran to condemn Berlin’s “hostile action” which it branded as a “clear example of Islamophobia”.

Germany’s Interior Ministry accused the center of presenting itself as a purely religious organization with no political agenda, but said its probe has found the contrary to be true. In a statement, the ministry said that it “banned the Hamburg Islamic Centre and its affiliated organizations throughout Germany to date, as it is an Islamist extremist organization pursuing anti-constitutional objectives”.

Investigators raided 53 properties allegedly linked to the center across Germany on Wednesday, and the ban will also be imposed on several organizations related to the Hamburg center - including four Shiite mosques. “I want to make it very clear: We are not taking action against a religion,” said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. “We are drawing a clear distinction between the Islamist extremists that we are cracking down on and the many Muslims who belong to our country and live according to their faith. “This ban absolutely does not apply to the peaceful practice of the Shiite religion,” she stressed.

Accusing the group of being a “direct representative of Iran’s supreme leader”, the ministry said the center spreads Tehran’s ideology “in an aggressive and militant manner”. It is allegedly seeking to “establish authoritarian, theocratic rule” in place of a democracy, said the ministry, accusing the center of backing the “military and political dimension” of organizations like Hezbollah. It is also believed to propagate anti-Semitism, something that Germany has been battling to stem amid a jump in cases following the Zionist entity’s nine-month war in Gaza, launched in response to a deadly attack led by Hamas militants on Zionist soil. 

‘Outpost’ of Iran

Germany considers Hezbollah a “Shiite terrorist organization” and in 2020 banned Hezbollah from carrying out activities on its soil. The Hamburg Islamic Centre runs the Imam Ali Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, and calls have grown in recent years for authorities to close it down because of its alleged links to Iran.

Blasting Berlin over its decision, Iran’s foreign ministry said “what happened in Germany today is a clear example of Islamophobia and a confrontation to the teachings of the Abrahamic religions”. The ministry hailed “valuable and unforgettable services of Islamic centers, including the Hamburg Islamic Centre, in explaining the religious teachings of Islam, promoting the principle of dialogue and religious tolerance, as well as combating extremism.” Founded by Iranian immigrants in 1953, the Hamburg Islamic Centre had already been under surveillance by domestic intelligence for some time. In November, investigators had conducted sweeping raids of its premises and other related sites across seven of Germany’s 16 states. — AFP