- Previously leading Islamic Center figure is mandated to depart from the nation.
Around a month after the prohibition of the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH), regarded as extremist, its former leader is now anticipated to depart from Germany. This week, the Hamburg Interior Department issued a deportation notice to Mohammad Hadi Mofatteh, 57, and a spokesperson confirmed it. Initially, there was no news on his current whereabouts in the country.
The decree mandates him to leave Germany within two weeks. Failure to comply will result in his forced expulsion to his native land at his expense by September 11, 2024. Moreover, he is prohibited from re-entering or residing in Germany, under penalty of up to three years in prison if disobeyed. This was prematurely reported by the radio station NDR 90.3.
Previously, an Iranian Regime Representative
Mohammad Hadi Mofatteh served as the IZH leader since summer 2018. According to the Hamburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution, he acted as the official representative of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Germany until recently.
For Hamburg's Interior Senator Andy Grote (SPD), the deportation following the ban on the Islamic Center Hamburg is the subsequent step by the authorities, as he stated in response to a query. "As the highest religious emissary of the regime in Tehran, his tenure in Germany has run its course. We will continue to combat Islamic extremism with all our might and utilize all residence-related measures."
Towards the end of 2022, the deputy leader of IZH, Seyed Mousavifar, was also ousted from Germany due to ties with the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. Previously, he had attempted to overturn the deportation order at the Hamburg Higher Administrative Court in the second instance, but failed. The pro-Iranian terrorist organization has been prohibited in Germany since 2020.
Portrayed as "Iran's Propaganda Hub in Europe"
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) banned the IZH on July 24, labeling it as a "prominent propaganda outlet of Iran in Europe." The IZH officials refuted the justification provided in the ban order, that the association and mosque were controlled by the Iranian government, pursued unconstitutional objectives, and propagated the ideology of the Islamic Revolution in Germany, as "unverified allegations" they intended to contest through legal action.
Law enforcement agencies nationwide seized assets and facilities of the center and five associated subsidiaries at the end of July. Since then, the Blue Mosque has also been under federal control.
Weekly Gatherings for Reopening the Blue Mosque
Hundreds of worshippers have been assembling outside the shuttered Blue Mosque on the Hamburger Außenalster every week to pray and protest for the restoration of the place of worship.
The ban on the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH), labeled as a propaganda hub for Iran, was enforced due to its extremist ties. With the deportation notice issued for Mohammad Hadi Mofatteh, the former IZH leader and official representative of Iran's Supreme Leader, the German authorities are reinforcing their stance against Islamic extremism.
