By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
TEHRAN/BERLIN (Worthy News) – Tehran has condemned a decision by the German government to ban an Iran-linked Islamic group over “extremism” and to close one of Germany’s oldest mosques.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador over the ban, Worthy News learned from several sources on Thursday.
On the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, the ministry called the ban “an example of Islamophobia” and a violation of freedom of expression.
Asked about the summoning of the ambassador, a German Foreign Ministry official said it was up to Iran to move toward improving ties.
The Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH) had been under investigation for several months over its alleged support for Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, which Iran backs.
Hezbollah has been classified as a “terrorist” group by Germany and several of the country’s allies, including Israel and the United States.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said that IZH was banned for propagating extremism and that its famous “Blue Mosque” was being searched by police.
‘NOT ANTI-RELIGION’
“It is very important to me to make a clear distinction here: we are not acting against a religion,” Faeser stressed, adding it was aimed at a group accused of undermining the German state as well as women’s rights.
German sources said the Imam Ali Mosque, known locally as the Blue Mosque, is one of Germany’s oldest mosques and is operated by the IZH.
It comes amid broader concerns about Islamic extremism and related antisemitism in Germany, which has seen an influx of migrants from mainly Islamic countries.
IZH is considered an extension of Iran’s Islamic leadership and is thought to have a “significant influence” over certain mosques and associations, said Germany’s domestic intelligence services.
The IZH is being probed for “spreading aggressive antisemitism,” Faeser explained, adding that raids against the group in November established proof of connections to Hezbollah and led to this week’s ban.
In a statement, the Interior Ministry said that it “banned the Hamburg Islamic Centre and its affiliated organizations throughout Germany to date, as it is an Islamist extremist organization pursuing anti-constitutional objectives.”
The ministry accused the IZH of spreading Iranian revolutionary ideas and spreading those ideas “in an aggressive and militant manner.”
HAMBURG RESIDENTS CONCERNED
There had been calls from concerned Hamburg residents for years to investigate the IZH, Worthy News learned.
Affiliated institutions in the federal states of Bremen, Bavaria, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Berlin were also being investigated.
The ministry said 53 properties were being searched, and four mosques were shut.
Germany’s Interior Ministry last year said the IZH was suspected of “acting against constitutional order” and of “supporting [the] terror organization Hezbollah.”
In 2020, Germany designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and banned its activities on German soil.
With further investigations ongoing in Europe’s largest economy, German police vehicles were seen outside the Blue Mosque in Hamburg, and more raids were expected despite Iran’s opposition.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Iran’s sweeping internet blackout has entered its fourth week, leaving millions of civilians cut off from global communications as the conflict with the United States and Israel intensifies.
The United States has surpassed 10,000 strikes on Iranian targets since launching Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, marking a major milestone in the ongoing military campaign, according to U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is considering calling up the National Guard to assist federal agents at airports as long lines and delays intensify during the ongoing partial government shutdown.
Video has emerged showing protesters booing and chasing away Anthony Albanese and Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke at the nation’s largest mosque after the government banned an Islamist group following a recent massacre of Australian Jews.
The White House issued a stark warning to Iran this week, signaling that further military action is imminent if Tehran refuses to agree to terms aimed at ending the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel, and the Iranian regime.
Dutch authorities have foiled a planned attack on a building housing a synagogue and school in the western town of Heemstede, detaining two teenagers suspected of preparing an explosion or arson with terrorist intent, officials said.
Israel has carried out a rare and far-reaching military strike on Iran’s Caspian Sea port of Bandar Anzali, targeting a logistics hub used by Russia and Iran to transport weapons, according to the Wall Street Journal..