Islamic Center Hamburg - Raid in the Blue Mosque: Iran summons the German ambassador
After the ban of the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH) by the German Federal Interior Ministry, the Iran summoned the German ambassador. According to the ministry, the ambassador was called to the Foreign Ministry in Teheran, as stated in an online service X on Wednesday.
The ministry accused the German authorities of a "hostile action" that "contradicts fundamental human rights principles." The ministry further stated: "What is happening in Germany today is a clear example of Islamophobia."
Islamic Center Hamburg has been a point of contact for extremists for years
Previously, the Federal Interior Ministry had announced that it had banned the IZH and its nationwide affiliated organizations. The IZH is considered an extremist organization of Islamism that pursues constitutional goals. The IZH is suspected of supporting the pro-Iranian Lebanese Hezbollah militia and having connections to Iran.
- In response to the ban, the Iranian Foreign Ministry also criticized the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH) raids conducted by the German Federal Ministry of Interior, expressing concern over Germany's apparent Islamophobia.
- The Iranian Ambassador to Germany was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Teheran to discuss the recent raids on the IZH and its affiliated organizations in Hamburg.
- The German authorities argued that the Islamic Center Hamburg had long been a point of contact for extremists, leading to its ban and subsequent raids, as the center had ties to the pro-Iranian Lebanese Hezbollah militia.
- Following the ban, the AA, a leading Turkish news agency, reported that Turkey's religious affairs directorate expressed concern over the ban of the Islamic Center Hamburg, deeming it an unfair act against Muslims living in Germany.
