By Struan Stevenson Conflagration engulfs the Middle East, with the Israel-Hamas war having gone on for more than a year now, and many Israeli hostages are still being held in deplorable conditions by Hamas terrorists. In Northern Israel, constant missile and rocket attacks by Hezbollah led to the mass evacuation of more than 70,000 Israelis from their homes in 2024 and to the inevitable military retaliation by the Israel Defense Forces, as they crossed the border into Southern Lebanon. Israeli missiles are raining down on key Hezbollah targets in Beirut. The assassination of Hezbollah’s terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, a seismic event, shattered his close friend and ally Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader and Hezbollah’s main sponsor. Nasrallah’s successor, Hashem Saffieddine, was also killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut within hours of being nominated for the Hezbollah leadership role and before the funeral of his predecessor had even taken place. Es...
Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
Cutting the Mullah’s Long Arm: German Police Storm Extremist Mosques
Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
-
By Mostafa Aslani
On July 24, 2024, German authorities executed a series of coordinated raids targeting the Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH) and its affiliated organizations, exposing the Iranian regime’s extensive influence and efforts to propagate its fundamentalist ideology in Europe. The operation, which spanned eight federal states and involved the search of 53 properties, marked a significant crackdown on institutions linked to Iran’s government and Hezbollah.
The Raids and Immediate Actions
At dawn, heavily armed police units stormed the Imam Ali Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, in Hamburg. This mosque, operated by the IZH, has long been under surveillance for its extremist activities and connections to Iran. Simultaneously, raids were conducted in Berlin’s Tempelhof district and other locations across Bavaria, Bremen, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, and North Rhine-Westphalia. In Hamburg alone, 30 properties were searched. The police used heavy equipment to break into the mosque, seizing large amounts of cash, documents, and electronic devices. Three individuals found inside the mosque were detained. The operation also led to the confiscation of a black Audi A6, believed to be the Imam’s official vehicle.
Background and Justification
The IZH has been identified by German intelligence as a key outpost of the Iranian regime in Europe. Since 1993, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Hamburg has monitored the IZH, describing it as an ideological, organizational, and personnel extension of Tehran. The center has been accused of spreading an Islamist-extremist, totalitarian ideology, supporting Hezbollah terrorists, and promoting aggressive antisemitism. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced the ban on the IZH, stating that the organization propagates a militant version of the Islamic Revolution’s ideology and aims to incite similar revolutionary sentiments in Germany. The ban also included the closure of four Shiite mosques and the seizure of the IZH’s assets.
Broader Context and Implications
The crackdown on the IZH is part of a broader effort to counter the Iranian regime’s influence in Europe. The IZH has been involved in various activities that align with Iran’s strategic interests, including supporting Hezbollah and participating in anti-Israel demonstrations such as the annual Al-Quds March in Berlin. The center’s former deputy head, Mullah Seyed Soleiman Mousavifar, was expelled from Germany in 2022 for his ties to militant Shiite groups. The Hamburg raids are not an isolated incident. Similar actions have been taken against Iranian-linked organizations across Europe. For instance, the Islamic Centre of England in London, another Iranian-affiliated institution, is currently under investigation by the UK’s Charity Commission for governance failures and potential extremist activities.
Official Statements and Community Reactions
Hamburg’s Interior Senator Andy Grote declared that the raids effectively severed the Iranian regime’s long arm in Germany. Mayor Peter Tschentscher echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the positive impact on Hamburg’s society. In Berlin, Interior Senator Iris Spranger highlighted the importance of defending democratic principles and combating antisemitism. The raids send a clear message that Germany will not tolerate the spread of extremist ideologies or the support of terrorist organizations, regardless of their origin.
Conclusion
The raids on the Islamic Centre Hamburg and its affiliates represent a significant step in countering the Iranian regime’s efforts to export its revolutionary ideology and support for terrorism in Europe. As investigations continue, the full extent of the IZH’s activities and connections will likely come to light, further shaping Germany’s approach to combating extremism and safeguarding national security.
This article was first published by irannewsupdate
Written by Mahmoud Hakamian Two-minute read On Sunday morning, April 14, the Iranian regime launched an unprecedented attack against Israel, escalating tensions in the Middle East. Despite military experts’ assessments that the attack failed, it underscores Iran’s role as a focal point of regional conflict. The October 7th attack sent shockwaves globally. Despite ample evidence implicating the Iranian regime, Western governments dismissed Tehran’s involvement, adhering to a flawed appeasement policy toward the primary state sponsor of terrorism. They disregarded explicit statements from Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) commanders boasting about their direct role in the attack. For decades, the Iranian Resistance has urged the international community to adopt a resolute stance against the Iranian regime’s aggression and terrorism. Despite persistent calls, the failed appeasement policy of the West allowed Tehran to escalate its belligerent activities, including ...
By DR. MAJID RAFIZADEH President Donald Trump will make a decision on whether the US will leave or stick with the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, by May 12. It has been almost three years since the nuclear accord was reached between the Islamic Republic and the UN Security Council’s five permanent members — Russia, the UK, China, France, and the US — plus Germany (the P5+1). Since the JCPOA’s implementation day on Jan. 16, 2016, the Iranian regime has been receiving various benefits that can be divided into four categories. Based on the terms of the JCPOA, four rounds of the United Nations Security Council’s economic sanctions against Tehran were lifted immediately. The regime also received unilateral sanctions relief from individual countries in exchange for halting its nuclear activities and dismantling some sections of its nuclear program. For instanc...
Link to call signing: https://www.change.org/p/un-secretary-general-call-for-justice-for-the-1988-iran-massacre Let's move our hands to change our world In the age of consciousness, and in the 21st century, brutality and barbarism must be stopped, this is not worthy of humanity. At the first step, you should be the center of this cruelty and the godfather of crime and murder, terrorism and fundamentalism that nobody is part of Iran's terrorist government. The fact is that the killing and execution of political and conscientious prisoners in public or in prisons is secretly in its astronomical dimensions on the coin of killing innocent people abroad by this regime. The issuance of terrorism and the support of fundamentalist and terrorist groups in this regime is institutionalized and is part of the constitution. The crimes committed by perpetrators and groups affiliated with this corrupt and expansionist state in Syria and Lebanon and Iraq ...
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment