Islamic Centers: The Islamic Republic's Hidden Arms in Europe

In recent years, the true nature of Islamic centers established by the Islamic Republic of Iran outside the country has become apparent to Iranian citizens.

While these centers were initially believed to be places for Muslims to gather for religious ceremonies and holidays, they have now been revealed as hubs for Iranian government lobbyists operating beyond the country's borders.

These centers aim to strengthen relations with foreign governments and suppress the opposition to the Islamic Republic abroad under the guise of religious activities.

With the emergence of the Woman, Life, Freedom protest movement last year, the activities of Islamic centers in Europe, particularly in Germany, have garnered increased attention from Iranian government critics residing outside the country.

In Frankfurt, a group called the Coordination Office for Freedom Seekers for Iran has drawn attention to the Islamic Center there, and has scrutinized the activities of its representatives in the Hesse state parliament.

According to their founders, these Islamic centers have served as platforms for “exporting” Islam since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. However, it is alleged that these centers may pose a security risk to host governments and the local populations.

Over the years, influential individuals linked to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei have been dispatched as professors and advisors to Islamic centers in European countries.

"In recent years, numerous influential individuals supported by the Islamic Center of Frankfurt have entered Germany, and their activities remain unclear. Many of these individuals are relatives and advisors of Ali Khamenei," said Mohammed Karimi, a member of the Coordination Office for Freedom Seekers for Iran in Frankfurt.

The Hamburg Administrative Court has classified the activities of the Islamic Center in Hamburg, also known as the Blue Mosque, as "extremist."

This organization is one of the most prominent and active Islamic centers in Europe. Its founders and members played significant roles in the establishment of the Islamic Republic prior to the Islamic Revolution.

Attempts to Cut Off Arms of the Islamic Republic in Europe

Since the start of the Woman, Life, Freedom protest movement, the Coordination Office for Freedom Seekers for Iran in Frankfurt has been actively engaged in identifying Islamic Republic-supported centers in European countries, particularly in Germany.

The primary objective of this group is to counter the lobbying efforts of the Islamic Republic outside Iran, while shedding light on the supporters of the Iranian government and its propaganda arms operating abroad.

The Frankfurt Islamic Cultural Center was established in 2010 as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in collaboration with Mahmoud Khalilzadeh, the center’s director and imam. Critics dispute its popularity and assert its dependence on the Iranian government.

Shadow Arms of the Islamic Republic in Europe

Islamic centers in Europe have played a significant role in recent years.

The Islamic Revolution Documentation Center database has extensively discussed the role of Islamic centers in various reports, including the Islamic Center in Hamburg.

It acknowledged the center's prominent role in the success of the revolution and the promotion of Shia culture. The center was built 70 years ago in one of the city's finest neighborhoods, at the insistence of its founder, Ayatollah Boroujerdi.

In an interview with the Islamic Revolution Documentation Center in April 2021, Reza Ramezani Gilani, the secretary-general of the World Ahl al-Bayt Assembly and member of the Assembly of Experts, said that Ayatollah Boroujerdi's main goal in establishing the center was to promote Shia school of thought.

Gilani also said that during that time, Islamic centers like the Hamburg Islamic Center served “as shelters for fervent Muslim students residing in Europe.” “One such student was Mohammad Kiarashi, a highly revolutionary individual. When Imam Khomeini issued the fatwa declaring Salman Rushdie's apostasy, Mohammad Kiarashi engaged in debates on German TV, becoming the sole person in Europe officially defending Imam Khomeini's ruling.”

The statements made by Gilani shed light on the importance of Islamic centers abroad for the Iranian government.

According to Karimi, who is also a journalist and political activist, this is precisely why plans to investigate members of the Hesse State Parliament hold significant importance. This grants the representatives the authority to conduct further investigation into the activities of the Islamic Center of Frankfurt.

Safe Houses for the islamic Republic’s Terrorists

Throughout its existence, the Islamic Republic has made concerted efforts to suppress its opponents outside the country, often resorting to murder to achieve this goal.

The initial wave of assassinations drew the attention of European governments toward the embassies of the Islamic Republic. However, the Islamic centers continued to enjoy a relatively secure position, which they used to bring their guests to European countries under the guise of university professors participating in scientific meetings.

Karimi emphasized that Islamic centers serve as both “the propaganda arms of the regime abroad and research hubs.”

“They also act as a vehicle for the Islamic Republic to establish political lobbies, enabling them to send trusted individuals to engage in political activities such as negotiating economic contracts, organizing student associations under Islamic affiliations, and monitoring the activities of both government activists and opponents. Essentially, these Islamic centers function as safe houses, facilitating the organization and gathering of loyal forces of the Islamic Republic beyond its borders,” he said.

Opposing Those Protesting against the Islamic Republic

Karimi said that numerous leaks have exposed the activities of various Islamic centers. However, these centers have cleverly concealed their actions behind the veil of promoting Islamic rituals and by manipulating the sentiments of Muslims and local residents.

This includes exploiting the religious and cultural affiliations of Iranian and Shia Muslims from other nations. Additionally, certain individuals have taken advantage of the laws governing religious freedom in Europe for their own purposes.

What Are Islamic Centers Seeking?

Since Islamic centers are registered as non-governmental organizations, they have effectively established an immunity shield for themselves by other local entities.

These organizations typically enjoy tax exemptions, and as Mohammad Karimi pointed out, their economic activities are often not tracked.

Moreover, due to their non-governmental status, separate budgets are allocated to them by European countries, meaning that they receive funds from both the host country and the Iranian government.

Why the Frankfurt Islamic Center Stays in the Shadows?

The Islamic Center of Hamburg garners more public attention and media coverage due to its director’s preaching efforts. The Islamic Republic precisely aimed for the Islamic Center of Hamburg to be positioned as a prominent hub toward which all eyes are drawn. 

The Islamic Republic’s Investment in the Managers of Islamic Centers

The individuals chosen by the Islamic Republic to manage Islamic centers abroad are trusted figures who often hold significant positions in Iran.

"These individuals are not ordinary seminary students,” Karimi said. “They are reliable missionaries carefully selected in esteemed seminaries. The Islamic Republic has invested years of time and resources in their training."

Typically, these individuals have a history of involvement with the authorities in the seminaries system and the Islamic Advertisement Organization. They have gone through rigorous screening processes that required several years of investment. 

Sheikh Mahmoud Khalilzadeh is the director of the Frankfurt Islamic Center and head of the German Shia Assembly.

He previously served as director of education and research at state-run Radio Quran. He also managed the Islamic Center of Iranians in Berlin and the religious and cultural center Ahl al-Bayt in Zurich.

Reports by Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution identify the director of the Islamic Center of Frankfurt as a researcher and influential individual closely aligned with the government of the Islamic Republic.

As the head of the European Shia community, Khalilzadeh has the capability to unite 157 Shia communities from various European countries under an organized entity known as the European Shia Assembly, according to Karimi. 

Threats to Protesters in Germany

Karimi asserted that Islamic centers are pushing a political and ideological agenda disguised as cultural activities. Many Iranians who oppose the Islamic Republic and participated in recent protests have received threats from unknown individuals in Germany.

Another aspect of the Islamic centers' activities involves the covert movement of Iranian authorities into Europe in coordination with these centers. One notable example is the controversial arrival of the prominent late cleric Ayatollah Hashemi Shahrodi in Germany a few years ago, when it was discovered that he had entered the country by land via Italy.

Karimi said that his group has obtained the names of individuals who presented themselves as refugees and eventually found their way to Islamic centers.

These centers now serve as extensions of the Islamic Republic beyond the country's borders, particularly in cyberspace.

The Iranian Government's Influence Extends its Reach into European Governments

The managers of Islamic centers are appointed by the Islamic Republic, yet European governments continue to recognize them and allow them to operate.

As long as there are no registered complaints against the Islamic centers and they do not violate the laws of the German government, the government will not take action against them, Karimi said.

"We have alerted the German government regarding the visits of individuals connected to the regime and close to the leader of the Islamic Republic to Islamic centers in Europe. Among these individuals is Mohsen Qomi, a member of the Combatant Clergy Association, a representative of Tehran province in the Assembly of Experts, and the deputy for international relations in the Office of the Leader of Iran."

Qomi visited Frankfurt in 2016 to deliver a speech. There are numerous figures like him who have traveled to European countries and have delivered inflammatory speeches against the people of Iran.

"Until groups like ours reveal the true identities of these individuals to the governments, the authorities will not be sensitive to the activities of Islamic centers and will refrain from monitoring them," Karimi said.

Trying to Attract Outcasted Shias under the Umbrella of the Islamic Republic

According to Karimi, “the Islamic Republic uses Islamic centers to provide cover for outcast Shia groups from various countries such as Azerbaijan, Turkey and Lebanon. Additionally, the repressed Shia minority in Afghanistan becomes a prime target for Islamic centers."

It remains to be seen whether an investigation by the State Parliament of Hesse in Germany will lead to an end to government financial aid to Islamic centers.

According to Karimi, this financial assistance has been discontinued due to pressure from political parties, opposition groups and activists. 

Islamic centers are now subject to scrutiny and control, making it challenging for them to continue their activities as before.