The Islamic Centre Hamburg (German: Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg, IZH; Persian: مرکز اسلامی هامبورگ, romanized: Mrkez Aslama Hambwrgu), also known as the Blue Mosque (German: Blaue Moschee),[1] was the oldest mosque in Hamburg, Germany, being established in the late 1950s by a group of Iranian emigrants and business people and built in the early 1960s.[citation needed] Amid investigations regarding its ties with Iran and Hezbollah, the IZH was judged unconstitutional and closed by the German government in July 2024.[2]
| Islamic Center Hamburg | |
|---|---|
Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg المركز الإسلامي في هامبورغ | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Shi'ism |
| Location | |
| Location | Uhlenhorst, Hamburg, Germany |
| Geographic coordinates | 53°34′28.45″N 10°00′30.30″E / 53.5745694°N 10.0084167°E |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Architekturbüro Schramm und Elingius |
| Type | Mosque |
| Completed | 1965 |
| Construction cost | DM2,000,000[citation needed] |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1500 |
| Dome(s) | 2 |
| Minaret(s) | 2 |
| Minaret height | 16 m |
| Website | |
| www.izhamburg.com/ | |
History
editDuring a meeting at the Atlantic Hotel in 1953, a group of Iranian residents of Germany discussed the need to establish their own religious center. A letter was sent to the late Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Husayn Borujerdi asking him for help; Borujerdi agreed with the plan and donated RI100,000 to the center.[citation needed]
Construction started once the organization's first director, Ayatollah Mohagheghi, arrived at Hamburg, with the building's cornerstone being laid on 13 February 1961. In 1963, Mohagheghi's return to Iran led to construction being halted. Ayatollah Mohammad Beheshti would replace him and remain the organization's head until 1970.[3]
During the 1970s, the centre played a significant role in bringing about the political rising of Iranian students in the West against the Shah and ultimately contributed to the Iranian Revolution.[citation needed]
Controversy and calls for closure
editFrom 1993 until its closing, the Landesamt für Verfassungsschutz der Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg monitored the IZH due to its ideological, organisational, and personal ties to the Iranian government. The IZH repeatedly protested against its monitoring, stating that it was a "purely religious institution that, independent of Tehran, only deals with the religious affairs of Shiite Muslims living in Europe."[1]
On 17 June 2022, IZH deputy director Seyed Soliman Mousavifar received an expulsion order from the Federal Ministry of the Interior after an investigation revealed that he maintained ties with Hezbollah representatives in Lebanon.[4] Mousavifar appealed the decision twice, but was rejected by the Hamburg Administrative Court and left the country in November the same year.[5][6]
During the Mahsa Amini protests, a motion was passed by the Bundestag, which among other things, called on the German government to "examine whether and how the [IZH] can be closed as a hub for the Iranian regime's operations in Germany."[7] More calls for the IZH's closure were made after the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, with Greens member Jennifer Jasberg stating "We do not want to accept that individual actors in our city create a breeding ground for hatred against Israel".[8]
Closure
editThe centre was raided on 24 July 2024 and closed by order of Germany's interior minister Nancy Faeser, who claimed that it was being used by the Iranian government to "propagate an Islamist, totalitarian ideology".[2][9] Documents provided to Der Spiegel stated that the mosque's director had reportedly received orders from Mehdi Mostafavi,[10][11] former advisor to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.[12] Several other affiliated Islamic centres were closed down as well, including the Centre for Islamic Culture Frankfurt and the Islamic Centre Berlin.[13]
Soon after the raid, Germany's ambassador to Iran was summoned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[14] The ban was strongly condemned by Iran, with several government agencies accusing the German government of Islamophobia.[15][16] Religious authorities shared similar sentiments, with Qom Seminary administrators claiming that "the move was reminiscent of the racist policies of the Nazi regime" and would "expose the hypocrisy of those claiming to uphold freedom of religion and expression."[17]
Directors
edit- Hojjatulislam Mohagheghi (1953–1963)[3]
- Hojjatulislam Mohammad Beheshti (1963–1970)
- Hojjatulislam Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari (1970–1978)
- Hojjatulislam Mohammad Khatami (1978–1980)
- Hojjatulislam Mohammad Reza Moghaddam (1980–1992)
- Hojjatulislam Mohammad Bagher Ansari (1992–1998)
- Hojjatulislam Reza Hosseini Nassab (1999–2003)
- Hojjatulislam Seyyed Abbas Hosseini Ghaemmaghami (2004–2009)
- Hojjatulislam Reza Ramezani Gilani (2009–2018)[18][19]
- Hojjatulislam Mohammad Hadi Mofatteh (2018–2024)[20]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Neue Erkenntnisse über das Islamische Zentrum Hamburg" [New findings about the Islamic Center Hamburg]. hamburg.de (in German). Archived from the original on 17 April 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ a b Jaeger, Mona; Staib, Julian (24 July 2024). "Blaue Moschee: Faeser verbietet Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg" [Blue Mosque: Faeser bans Islamic Center Hamburg]. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Archived from the original on 24 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Building history of Islamic Centre Hamburg". Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ "Germany Expels Iranian Cleric Over Support For Shiite Extremists". Iran International. 19 June 2022. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "„Hat in Deutschland nichts zu suchen": Vize-Mullah hat Hamburg verlassen" [“Has no business in Germany”: Vice Mullah has left Hamburg]. Focus (in German). 7 November 2022. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ Ekrutt, Joana (5 November 2022). "Blaue Moschee Hamburg: IZH-Vize entgeht Abschiebung – SPD fordert Schura-Ausschluss" [Blue Mosque Hamburg: IZH vice president escapes deportation – SPD calls for Shura exclusion]. Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). Archived from the original on 23 September 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "Bundestag fordert Verbot des Islamischen Zentrums Hamburg" [Bundestag calls for ban on the Islamic Center Hamburg]. Der Spiegel (in German). 9 November 2022. ISSN 2195-1349. Archived from the original on 9 November 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "Hamburgs SPD, Grüne, CDU und FDP fordern Schließung des IZH" [Hamburg's SPD, Greens, CDU and FDP demand closure of the IZH]. Norddeutscher Rundfunk (in German). 25 October 2023. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "Germany shuts down Islamic Center Hamburg". DW News. 24 July 2024. Archived from the original on 24 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ "German mosque took orders from Iran, aided Hezbollah before closure - report". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Reuters. 11 August 2024. Archived from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ "Head of banned German mosque received orders from Iranian official, report says". The Times of Israel. Reuters. 11 August 2024. Archived from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ^ Sahimi, Muhammad (2 January 2011). "Ahmadinejad Fires 14 Advisers in Major Shake-up". PBS. Archived from the original on 4 January 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ "Bekanntmachung eines Vereinsverbots gegen die Vereinigung Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg e.V. (IZH)" [Announcement of a ban on the association Islamic Center Hamburg e.V. (IZH)] (PDF). Bundesanzeiger (in German). 24 July 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Wegen Verbots des IZH: Teheran bestellt deutschen Botschafter nach Razzia in Blauer Moschee ein" [Because of ban on IZH: Tehran summons German ambassador after raid on Blue Mosque]. Der Spiegel (in German). 24 July 2024. ISSN 2195-1349. Archived from the original on 24 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "Iran condemns Germany's closure of Islamic Center Hamburg". Middle East Monitor. 28 July 2024. Archived from the original on 28 July 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ^ "Iran's ICRO condemns closure of Islamic Center Hamburg". Islamic Republic News Agency. 27 July 2024. Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ^ "Iran seminaries condemn Germany's closure of Islamic centers". Mehr News Agency. 28 July 2024. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "Direction of ICH". Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
- ^ "Ayatollah Ramezani's mission in Hamburg ends". Tehran Times. 31 July 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
- ^ "Neuer Leiter des Islamischen Zentrums ist dialogbereit" [New head of the Islamic Center is ready for dialogue]. Die Welt (in German). 31 August 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
External links
edit
- Official website (in German) Archived 30 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine
- Official website (in English)
- A brief history, Hamburg Islamic Center.