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Iran summons German ambassador in protest at Islamic centre ban

Iran summons German ambassador in protest at Islamic centre ban

By Grazia British

Culture

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned the German ambassador in Tehran in protest against the ban on the Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH), the German Foreign Office confirmed on Wednesday.

German authorities earlier banned the IZH, an organization that German domestic intelligence has classified as extremist and considers to be controlled by Iran.

To enforce the ban, which also affects five affiliated organizations, officers searched the IZH inside the Imam Ali Mosque in Hamburg as well as premises in eight other states early in the morning.

Dozens of police officers were seen cordoning off the Imam Ali Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, in Hamburg.

According to a dpa reporter, several police officers stormed the building of a Shiite organization in Berlin's Tempelhof district at around the same time.

A total of 53 properties in the states of Hamburg, Bremen, Berlin, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria were searched in connection with the ban, the Interior Ministry said.

A police officer removes a sign from the Islamic Center Berlin in Ordensmeisterstrasse. Sven Käuler/TNN/dpaA police officer removes a sign from the Islamic Center Berlin in Ordensmeisterstrasse. Sven Käuler/TNN/dpa

Originally published by yahoo.com. Syndicated material does not necessarily reflect the views of Grazia British.

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Iran summons German ambassador in protest at Islamic centre ban | Grazia British