- Abridged, machine-translated version (generated with DeepL and ChatGPT)
- Full original version in German: https://www.ak-polis.de/hamburg-gedenkstaette-opfer-islamismus
In Hamburg, a broad, pluralistic alliance is calling for the confiscated “Mullah Centre” to be converted into a “Memorial to the Victims of Islamism.” The concept envisages five functions for the site’s reuse: alongside the memorial, a constitution-compliant prayer space, a Documentation Centre Political Islam, a youth education campus, and a Jina cultural centre (named after Jina Mahsa Amini, who died in Iran in 2022 for allegedly violating the hijab law).
The alliance is taking the initiative to send a strong signal by honouring the victims – ‘from Hamburg, for Germany and the world’. Background: Until its ban in July 2024, the Hamburg Mullah Centre acted ‘as the direct representative of the Iranian “Supreme Leader” in Germany’, according to the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) in its ban order — that is, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the highest spiritual authority and commander-in-chief of the armed forces in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The centre spread the ideology of the ‘Islamic Revolution’ in an ‘aggressive and militant manner’ and aimed to establish an authoritarian theocratic regime in place of the free democratic basic order; it also spread ‘aggressive anti-Semitism,’ acted ‘against the idea of international understanding,’ and supported the terrorist organisation ‘Hizb Allah,’ which is banned in Germany.
The Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH) – together with its sub-organisations ‘Islamic Academy Germany’, ‘Association of Supporters of an Iranian-Islamic Mosque in Hamburg’ and others – was banned because it is an extremist Islamist organisation that pursues anti-constitutional goals. The BMI found that the IZH operates in an ‘extremely conspiratorial’ manner: “Outwardly, it wants to give the impression of being a tolerant and purely religious institution without any political agenda or connections. In fact, the investigations clearly show that the IZH does not act solely on religious grounds. Rather, as the representative of Iran’s “Supreme Leader”, it consistently and categorically implements the political directive to export the “Islamic Revolution”. The IZH and its leader have been expressly instructed by the “Supreme Leader” to “work intensively and unwaveringly for the foundations of the revolution, without compromise”. Human rights and democracy are merely a pretext to suppress the spread of the “Islamic Revolution”. The social model propagated by the IZH is contrary to the German Basic Law – without free elections, without protection of minorities, without separation of powers, with a religious judiciary.
Civic use of the site
The alliance therefore aims to convert the IZH site and ensure its civilian use. The proposal to establish a memorial site represents a change of course: away from decades of extremist Islamist infiltration and support for terrorism by the IZH, towards a public, secular place of remembrance, documentation and education. The alliance wants to prevent the debate from narrowing and prevent the building from falling back into Islamist or autocratic structures.
Hourvash Pourkian, an Iranian exile from the alliance partner Kulturbrücke Hamburg, is concerned that under the guise of ‘religious freedom,’ ‘interreligious dialogue’ and ‘anti-discrimination,’ the debate is skewing in favour of enemies of the constitution. Shortly after the ban, the German Press Agency (dpa) uncritically disseminated statements by the Iranian IZH leader, who had been expelled from Germany, in which the imam mobilised ‘around a hundred believers’ against the state ban and accused the German authorities of corruption and discrimination. The taz newspaper played down IZH supporters who staged show prayers in front of the closed building as people who gather to draw attention to ‘their religious homelessness.’ According to Pourkian’s assessment, Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) ‘reproduced propaganda’ with statements such as ‘praying on the pavement is degrading’ and demands such as ‘mosque instead of street’ and ‘where is our place in this city?’.
The Hamburg Shura, which for many years has been closely linked to the anti-constitutional actors of the IZH through membership, declared in the media that it was already in talks with two possible sponsors; recognition by a Shiite council of scholars and the recruitment of an acceptable imam were proving difficult, as the banned IZH had carried out the training of Shiite imams.
Regardless of this, it should be noted that the Shura, as a state-treaty partner, has influential advocates in parts of Hamburg politics and in the ‘interreligious dialogue’ of the churches – a constellation that has contributed to undesirable developments in the past. From the Council of Ex-Muslims, the founder and exiled Iranian Mina Ahadi, whose husband was murdered by the Islamic regime in Iran, supports the initiative:
“One must not underestimate the importance of Hamburg as a location for Shiite political Islam and the Iranian power apparatus. Mohammad Khatami was head of the IZH during the 1979 revolution, when the clergy seized power in Tehran, and later rose to become President of Iran. Hamburg now has the opportunity to create a place that no longer spreads Islamist propaganda, espionage and repression against free people, but where crimes are documented and education and enlightenment take place. A courageous decision to convert the Islamic Centre Hamburg into a memorial would also send an important signal to the freedom movement in Iran.”
“Islamism affects us all” — Commentary by Professor Mouhanad Khorchide
At the beginning of December, Mouhanad Khorchide, professor of Islamic religious education, wrote in the Protestant monthly magazine Chrismon:
“Islamism affects us all – Muslims and non-Muslims, religious and non-religious alike. This also includes a clear distinction between Islam and Islamism. The term “Islamism” is necessary here to name an ideology that attacks democratic values in the name of religion. It is not the term that stigmatises – but the violence it describes. Islamism distorts a spiritual religion into a political project of domination. Pushing it back not only protects liberal society, but also the integrity of Islam and the safety of Muslims themselves.”
Khorchide was recently appointed to the Islamism Advisory Group of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) and has chaired the Scientific Advisory Board of the Austrian Documentation Centre Political Islam for several years. When asked about the planned large-scale poster campaign and the concept behind it, he replied:
“Repurposing the Imam Ali Mosque of the banned IZH — which has been politically misused for decades — into a place that honours the victims of Islamist violence while also providing a transparently operated prayer space is an excellent idea. It comes at a timely moment. Islamic religious communities are called upon to participate constructively in this debate so that, ultimately, as many believers in Hamburg as possible who wish to draw clear boundaries vis-à-vis Political Islam can be strengthened.”
Political positions in Hamburg: Senator of the Interior, government, opposition
Preparatory work can be carried out until the federal ban becomes legally binding. The alliance suggests commissioning the following: a feasibility study, a preparatory board of trustees made up of representatives of victim groups, academia, civil society and the federal and state governments, and a concept for information and educational work, for example in the form of a permanent exhibition (at the site) and a travelling exhibition (for schools, local authorities and cultural institutions). A feasibility study can be initiated by political parties, foundations, associations, a civil society alliance or a scientific institution.
In order to emphasise the state’s responsibility for the confiscated property, the Senate has clearly stated its position on several occasions. Hamburg’s Senator of the Interior, Andy Grote (SPD), puts it this way:
“The state must never relinquish control of the building again.”
In Hamburg’s red-green coalition agreement (April 2025), the following was agreed regarding the reuse of the property:
“We are committed to ensuring that it once again becomes a place of religious practice for Shiites and a meeting place for exiled Iranians – free from foreign influence and in accordance with our constitution.” And further, in principle: “[…] Dialogue [that] promotes mutual understanding and creates spaces in which common positions for peaceful and tolerant coexistence can be developed. This also applies to critical issues: in the existing dialogue contexts, problems can be clearly addressed and goals and measures for their solution can be defined.”
From the perspective of the largest opposition party, Dr Anke Frieling, deputy chair of the CDU parliamentary group, says:
“We are striving for a secular building, a centre run by the state.”
At an information event at the Patriotic Society of Hamburg in July 2025, Frieling said of the circulating complaints of discrimination that Shiite believers would no longer have a place of worship after the ban: ‘Shiite believers had decades of opportunity to use the building in peace, but they chose a different path’ – with reference to the propaganda and support structures of the Islamic Centre, which are attributed to the mullah regime. The religious policy spokesperson for the SPD parliamentary group, Irene Appiah, emphasises: ‘Any subsequent use should primarily be aimed at reconciliation.’
Dr Necla Kelek from the Secular Islam Hamburg association outlines a possible compromise:
“It should become a place of remembrance and a reminder of freedom and human rights; a place where the victims of Islamic fundamentalism are commemorated; a place where the great diversity of Islamic culture, but also of the Iranian peoples and non-Islamic cultures, finds a place; a place where people can learn and discuss – and a place where people can also pray on Fridays.”
“Exclusive use as a prayer room is not necessary. There are officially 66 mosques and prayer rooms in Hamburg – no one is prohibiting believers from praying or worshipping. Multifunctional use of the centre promotes diversity and tolerance and can also take spiritual needs into account within house rules that apply to everyone,” says Kelek.
One consensus could be to convert the site of the former Mullah Centre into a public space with five functions. One of the ideas is presented by Ali Ertan Toprak from the alliance partner Kurdish Community of Germany (KGD). He wants to promote the establishment of a ‘Documentation Centre for Political Islam’ in Germany, based on the Austrian model, in the new Islamism Advisory Council of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, of which he is a member:
“Hamburg is a suitable location. A feasibility study should examine whether office space on the IZH site is suitable for this purpose.”
Once the ban becomes legally binding, the property will, under current law, become the property of the federal government – not the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Therefore, the federal government, as the owner, would initially have the authority to make decisions. One option is to transfer it to a foundation, e.g. under state sponsorship. Accordingly, the alliance is addressing its proposals to both Hamburg politicians and the federal level and is encouraging early coordination between the federal and state governments as well as the examination of foundation law models for sponsorship and operation. In addition, provisional implementation should be examined, as the court proceedings are likely to continue for some time.
Evidence-based: Who are the ‘victims of Islamism’?
The alliance defines victims of Islamism as people who are affected by Islamist violence and hegemonic claims – in Hamburg, Germany and Europe, for example, through attacks, intimidation and pressure to conform; in autocracies such as Iran since 1979, as well as in conflict and terror situations, for example in the Middle East, the Sahel, Nigeria, Syria and other countries.
Hamburg connection and Europe
9/11 with the ‘Hamburg cell’ (Harburg) marks the most serious Islamist attack in modern times with around 3,000 deaths – a central historical reference point for Hamburg’s remembrance work. The Hamas massacres of 7 October 2023 are considered the second deadliest event, with 1,200 dead, 3,400 injured and 251 kidnapped. Europe has seen major attacks in Berlin, Madrid, London, Paris, Brussels, Nice and Manchester, and a growing problem of structural Islamism affecting millions of people in Europe.
Global minimum figures
Since 1979, over 65,000 Islamist attacks have been recorded worldwide, with at least 250,000 deaths. Almost 90% of the fatalities occurred in predominantly Islamic countries, with the main locations being the MENA region, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, there have been thousands of executions and deaths due to deviations from Political Islam in the Islamic Republic of Iran alone.
Affected groups
- Those killed and injured by terrorist attacks and militant Islamist groups.
- Those executed, tortured, imprisoned or disappeared under theocratic or extremist Islamist regimes.
- Women and girls subjected to forced veiling, forced marriage and ‘honour’ violence.
- Persecuted religious and ideological groups (non-Islamist Muslims, Christians, Jews, Yazidis, atheists).
- Liberal-minded people who are targeted by extremist propaganda, recruitment or social pressure to conform to norms.
Curatorial approach for Hamburg
The alliance recommends systematically curating this evidence (UN/NGO reports, court decisions, conflict databases, police situation reports), processing it according to time/space/perpetrator context/victim groups, and supplementing it with eyewitness accounts, in a factual, comparative perspective with other experiences of violence and dictatorship in contemporary history, such as Nazism, Stalinism and Maoism. Islamism is a research desideratum that needs to be further investigated.