Hamburg Islamic Center took direct orders from Iran's Khamenei: Report

The head of Hamburg Islamic Center (IZH) received direct orders from Iran's Supreme Leader, documents obtained by Germany’s Interior Ministry show, shedding more light on the extent of Tehran’s influence over Islamic centers in Europe.

The documents, which were part of a 220-page closure and activity ban order issued by Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior, show that Mohammad Hadi Mofatteh, the head of the Islamic Center of Hamburg, was in continuous contact with Mehdi Mostafavi, a senior official in Khamenei’s office, Der Spiegel reported Friday.

Through WhatsApp, these two exchanged over 650 messages between late 2021 and late 2023, discussing everything from ideological messaging to the center’s future activities.

The instructions from Khamenei’s office included detailed directives on how to shape the narrative around significant events, such as Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023, which claimed around 1,200 lives.

Just days after the brutal Hamas attack, Mofatteh was told to frame the incident as a necessary act of resistance against Israel’s alleged crimes. The messaging was clear: portray the attack as an act of bravery by Palestinian youth and as a turning point.

“The Islamic Resistance had no other means to stop Israel’s crimes… Thanks to the courage of Palestinian youth, the Zionist regime will never be the same,” read a message seen by Der Spigel.

The revelations are not limited to ideological influence; they also expose financial links between the Islamic Center of Hamburg and Hezbollah, the Lebanese organization that has been classified as terrorist by both Germany and the European Union.

Inspectors discovered documents bearing Khamenei’s personal stamp and signature, indicating financial endorsements for operations in Yemen. These documents suggest that the center was not only spreading Tehran’s ideology but also acting as a financial conduit for Iran’s militant proxies.

Further evidence of the center’s deep ties to Hezbollah includes reports of visits by a senior Hezbollah cleric responsible for foreign relations. This cleric, who visited the center multiple times, expressed gratitude for the "financial, spiritual, and advisory support" provided by the center’s leadership.

Last week, the German government deported Nasir Niknejad, the Iran-linked Imam of the Islamic Center in Berlin, as revealed by Iran International's correspondent in Berlin. Reports indicate that Niknejad and his wife were detained at Berlin airport upon returning from a month-long leave, just three weeks after the closure of Islamic centers affiliated with the Islamic Republic across Germany. They were subsequently deported back to Iran.

In July, Germany shut down the Khamenei-controlled Islamic Center of Hamburg and the Blue Mosque for their role in promoting terrorist ideology, antisemitism, and anti-democratic threats to the Federal Republic's constitutional order, according to the interior ministry.

In November 2023, Germany's federal police raided the Islamic Center of Hamburg on suspicions of supporting the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has been accused of engaging in terrorism. Germany banned Hezbollah's activities in 2020, stating that the Islamic Center's actions sought to spread the revolutionary ideology of Iran’s Supreme Leader and undermine Germany’s "constitutional order."