The head of the Islamic Center of Hamburg (IZH), Mohammad Hadi Mofatteh, has been ordered to leave Germany after the center and its affiliates were banned for promoting radical Islamist goals.
The Hamburg Interior Department issued a deportation notice to Mofatteh, 57, mandating his departure within two weeks, German media reported Thursday.
If he fails to comply, he will be forcibly expelled from Germany at his own expense by September 11. He is also prohibited from re-entering or residing in Germany, with a penalty of up to three years in prison if he disobeys the order.
This action follows the deportation of Nasir Niknejad, the Iran-linked Imam of the Islamic Center in Berlin in late June, highlighting the German government's ongoing efforts to counter Iranian influence within its borders.
The closure of the Hamburg Islamic Center, known to be under the control of Iran's Supreme Leader, has provoked a retaliatory response from Tehran. Last week, Iranian security forces stormed and shut down a German Embassy-affiliated language school in Tehran in what appears to be a response to the closure of the Islamic Center of Hamburg and the Blue Mosque.
Germany's federal police had raided the Islamic Center on suspicions of support for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, accused of terrorism, in November. Germany banned Hezbollah activities in 2020.
Documents obtained by Germany’s Interior Ministry reveal that Mofatteh received direct instructions from Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The documents, part of a 220-page closure and activity ban order issued by Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior, showed continuous communication between Mofatteh and Mehdi Mostafavi, a senior official in Khamenei’s office.
According to Der Spiegel, over 650 WhatsApp messages were exchanged between late 2021 and late 2023, covering topics ranging from ideological messaging to the center’s future activities.
The directives from Khamenei’s office included specific instructions on framing narratives around significant events, such as the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths.
Days after the attack, Mofatteh was instructed to portray the incident as a necessary act of resistance against alleged Israeli crimes, emphasizing the bravery of Palestinian youth and framing the attack as a turning point in the decades long Israel-Palestine conflict.
The revelations went beyond ideological influence, exposing financial links between the Islamic Center of Hamburg and Hezbollah, the Lebanese organization classified as a terrorist group by countries including the US, UK, Germany and the European Union.
Inspectors found documents bearing Khamenei’s personal stamp and signature, indicating financial endorsements for operations in Yemen, proving clear links that the center was not only disseminating Tehran’s ideology but also acting as a financial conduit for Iran’s militant proxies.
