- Previously Leading Islamic Center Figure Faces Exclusion
After a five-week ban on the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH), deemed extremist, its previous leader is now faced with deportation. The Hamburg Interior Department issued a deportation notice to Mohammad Hadi Mofatteh, 57, this week, according to a department spokesperson. The order mandates his departure from Germany within two weeks, or he risks being forced out at his own expense and sent back to his homeland. This deadline falls on September 11, 2024. Furthermore, he is barred from revisiting or residing in Germany, and any breach may result in a three-year prison sentence. local radio station NDR 90.3 reported this earlier.
Mohammad Hadi Mofatteh had served as the IZH leader since the summer of 2018. As per the Hamburg State Office for the Protection of the Constitution, he had represented Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Germany until recently.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) declared the IZH banned on July 24, labeling it as "a significant Iranian propaganda tool in Europe." Subsequently, nationwide police raids were conducted to seize the IZH's assets and facilities, along with those of its five affiliate organizations. Since then, the Blue Mosque has also been under federal control.
The ban on the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH) was due to its alleged extremist beliefs and associations. The IZH, under the leadership of Mohammad Hadi Mofatteh, was seen as a significant propagandist for Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Europe.
