Previously leading figure of the ICH gets ousted
Following a five-week ban on the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH), its previous head, Mohammad Mofatteh, has been instructed to depart from Germany. At the age of 57, he received a notice of expulsion this week, as revealed by a representative from Hamburg's Interior Department on Thursday. He has until September 11 to comply, or face deportation at his own cost, otherwise. Additionally, Mofatteh is denied re-entry or prolonged stay in Germany, with potential sanctions including imprisonment for up to three years.
Hamburg's Interior Senator Andy Grote (SPD) commented, "As the top spiritual figure of the human rights-infringing rule in Tehran, his German chapter has come to an end."
Mofatteh had been leading the IZH since the summer of 2018. The IZH met its demise under the mandate of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, with the Blue Mosque on the Outer Alster closing down and being seized at the end of July.
"The IZH, as a direct emissary of the Iranian 'Supreme Leader', champions the ideology of the so-called 'Islamic Revolution' in a forceful and confrontational manner within the Federal Republic of Germany, aiming to implement it," the Federal Ministry of the Interior stated at the time. The initial report on Mofatteh's expulsion was reported by the Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR).
After the Federal Ministry of the Interior enforced a prohibition on the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH), it was revealed that Mofatteh, as the IZH's former head, would face consequences due to the center's alleged promotion of the Iranian "Islamic Revolution." The German authorities have imposed a ban on Mofatteh's re-entry or extended stay in the country, citing potential penalties including imprisonment for up to three years.
