AFP

Tehran said it summoned the German ambassador on Wednesday after the closure of an Islamic centre in Hamburg over alleged support for Lebanon’s Hezbollah and links to Iran.

“Following the action of the German police which closed a number of Islamic centres, the German ambassador was summoned today to the ministry of foreign affairs,” the ministry said in a statement on social media platform X.

Germany’s interior ministry said it had “banned the Hamburg Islamic Centre and its affiliated organisations throughout Germany to date, as it is an Islamist extremist organisation pursuing anti-constitutional objectives”.

It accused the centre of presenting itself as a purely religious organisation with no political agenda, but said its probe had found the contrary to be true.

Iran’s foreign ministry condemned Germany’s “hostile action” and said it was “contrary to the fundamental human rights principles”.

“Unfortunately, what happened in Germany today is a clear example of Islamophobia and a confrontation to the teachings of the Abrahamic religions,” it said.

The ministry hailed “valuable and unforgettable services of Islamic centres, including the Hamburg Islamic Centre, in explaining the religious teachings of Islam, promoting the principle of dialogue and religious tolerance, as well as combating extremism.”

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