Iranian facility in Hamburg: Propaganda on the Outer Alster

After the Iranian attack on Israel, the “Islamic Center Hamburg” is being debated again. Will it be closed now?

The Islamic Center Hamburg, located directly on the Alster Photo: Christian Charisius/dpa

After the Iranian attack on Israel, the discussion about banning the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH) has flared up again. The institution, based in the striking Imam Ali Mosque, is considered to be controlled by the Tehran regime: “The position of head of the IZH is traditionally filled by a loyal supporter of the Iranian state doctrine and the Islamic revolutionary goals,” writes the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution (VS). in its 2022 annual report; The institution has been under observation since 1993. The fact that the IZH can be described as an “organization of Islamism” was confirmed by the court last year.

“Finally ban”

The demand to close the alleged terror center on the Outer Alster has become loud again and again in the past. After the weekend attack, several members of the Bundestag from the Greens, CDU and the Left renewed their support: “The IZH has failed to clearly distance itself from the extremists for years,” said deputy Green party leader Konstantin von Notz to the World. He expects “that all constitutional means will now be exhausted immediately to finally ban the IZH”.

The foreign policy spokesman for the Union parliamentary group, Jürgen Hardt (CDU), pointed out several motions from the Union calling for the closure. “As a state, we cannot stand by and watch the enemies of freedom openly act among us,” said Hardt.

The Hamburg CDU had struck a particularly sharp tone in the past. “Iran has not only been a terrorist state since this attack on Israel and the trivialization must finally come to an end,” explained Dennis Thering, chairman of the CDU parliamentary group, in response to a question from taz on Monday. “With regard to Hamburg, I now expect Federal Interior Minister Faeser to enforce the ban on the Islamic Center Hamburg as an extended arm of Iran without any further delays.”

Prohibition process requires care

“As an extension of the mullahs’ regime, the IZH must be fought at various levels,” said Sina Imhof, domestic policy spokeswoman for the Green Party parliamentary group. “As a red-green coalition, we are clearly in favor of closing the IZH.” Hamburg has contributed its part to the ban process, said Imhof. However, this must be “thoroughly examined and prepared so that it is legally valid in the long term”.

The Federal Ministry of the Interior is responsible for such a procedure. The ministry had confirmed in November last year that something like this was going on: the rooms of the IZH and several “subordinated” clubs in other federal states had just been searched.

The ministry explained that it is being examined whether the center is acting against the constitutional order and supporting the activities of the terrorist Hezbollah. In addition, the IZH spreads the “revolution concept” of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei. The process was “open-ended,” the ministry said at the time. According to Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD), the suspicions against the IZH are “grave”.

State treaties in danger

The IZH, founded in 1962, was a member of the Hamburg Council of Islamic Communities (Schura) until 2022. The city-state concluded an agreement with the Shura in 2012 regarding, among other things, public holidays and joint religious instruction; Critics are offended by the term “state treaty” because the signatory Muslim – and Alevi – organizations have not committed themselves to anything.

The opposition in Hamburg, but also the Greens in government there, had called for the IZH to be kicked out of the association – alternatively, the contract would have to be put on hold, the CDU repeatedly stated. In November 2022, the IZH itself withdrew from the association – probably to forestall exclusion. Several small Shiite associations followed.