Islamic Centre Hamburg

Infobox religious building

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caption=Imam Ali Mosque Hamburg
building_name=Imam Ali Mosque Hamburg
location=Uhlenhorst, Hamburg
GER
geo=coord|53|34|28.45|N|10|00|30.30|E|region:DE-HH_type:landmark
religious_affiliation=Islam
website= [http://www.izhamburg.com/en/ www.izhamburg.com/]
architect=Architekturbüro Schramm und Elingius
architecture_type=Mosque
architecture_style=
year_completed=1961, 1963-65
construction_cost=2 Million Deutschmark
capacity=
dome_quantity=
minaret_quantity=The Islamic Centre Hamburg ("Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg") is one of the oldest Iranian Shiite mosques in Germany and Europe. Established in Hamburg, in northern Germany, in the late 1950's by a group of Iranian emigrants and business people it rapidly developed into one of the leading Shia centres in the Western world.

Many leading Iranian theologians and politicians (including Ayatollah Beheshti and Mohammad Khatami) have spent time (often years) here, have encountered and studied Western sciences and philosophy and contributed to the Western understanding of Shia Islam.

History

During a meeting at Atlantic Hotel (Hamburg) in 1953, a group of Iranian residence of Germany discussed the need to establish their own religious center. A letter was sent to the late Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Husayn Borujerdi asking him for help; Grand Ayatollah agreed with the plan and donated 100,000 Rials to the center. The construction began in 1960 and by 1965 it was completed. In the same year Ayatollah Mohammad Beheshti was appointed to lead the center.

During the 1970's the centre has played a significant role in bringing about the political rising of Iranian students in the West against the Shah and ultimately contributed to the Iranian Revolution.

In 2007, the center announced the launch of first Shia Union in Europe. [ [http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=6954&sectionid=3510206 1st Shia Union launched in Europe] Press TV, April 22 2007]

Today the centre continues to play a role in furthering mutual understanding of Iranian Shia and the Western World.

Controversy

The centre is under surveillance of the Hamburg state Office for the Protection of the Constitution, ("Landesamt für Verfassungsschutz") for its connections to the Hezbollah. [ [http://www.hamburg.de/servlet/contentblob/262416/vsb-2007-nurtext/data.pdf Official report] "Verfassungsschutzbericht" 2007 de icon Retrieved on August 5 2008]

See also

*Islam in Germany
*List of mosques in Europe

References

External links

* [http://www.izhamburg.de/ Official website (in German)] (Broken link)
* [http://www.izhamburg.com/ Official website (in English)] (Broken link)
* [http://www.izhamburg.com/fa/about.asp?f=1 A brief history] , Hamburg Islamic Center. (Broken link)