IOPHR Statement on Closing the Hamburg Islamic Centre and Affiliated Bodies

According to published news, the German government has banned the Hamburg Islamic Centre and its 53 affiliated organisations for “supporting” the Lebanese Terrorist group Hezbollah and “promoting the ideology of ruling regime of Iran.

The International Organisation to Human Rights (IOPHR), previously has warned repeatedly about the IRGC’s Hybrid Warfare including multifaceted overseas campaign against democratic principles.

Many high-ranking leaders of the Iranian regime have officially declared that Iran is at war with the world. Khamenei has stated that the war with western civilization will continue until the destruction of America. Hossein Salami, the commander in-chief of IRGC bluntly talked about a Great World War and has repeatedly named Britain, France, Germany, and Israel as enemies of the Iranian people and has announced that a world war with these countries will soon commence.

But it seems that the war has already commenced: while the External Face Structure of the ruling regime of Iran, deceptively and hypocritically, deals with western governments, at the same time, the Caliphate Structure, has already launched an all-out hybrid warfare against western societies aiming to devast the western democracies by implementing capacities and capabilities of these societies.

The transforming Muslim minorities in Western societies into loyal soldiers for Iran’s leaders is one of their main goals in this war, which requires a complex process known as “Radicalisation”. This encompasses initiatives categorised in two strategies: “Local Radicalisation” and “Digital Radicalisation”.

The Local Radicalisation involves various stages, including seminars, Quran training, interpretation courses, mourning ceremonies, and Holy Day events which all Islamic centres linked to the Caliph are involved with. These events often include dinners or lunches to enhance their impact.

Further, the Islamic centres often establish mosques named after Imam Ali, as his name, along with that of the Prophet of Islam, is respected by both Sunnis and Shiites. This strategy aims to attract Sunni Muslims to Shiite Islamic centres

This is a detailed and well-organized program in Tehran and Qom: the IRGC supplies the human resources needed for being targeted by the Islamic centres affiliated with the office of Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, in Western societies. For a long time, they have been involved in organising various immigration programs to send radicalised young Muslims, disguised as refugees, to Western countries. The fact that, according to statistics, most of the radicalised refugees come from countries where the IRGC has a significant military presence supports this assumption.

Organised migration, besides supplying the human resources for brainwashing programs held by Islamic centers affiliated with caliphate structure in Iran, imposes a heavy burden on the economies of free societies. In the long term, it alters the demographic structure of these societies, potentially increasing the influence of ruling regime’s caliphate structure of Iran in decision-making and policy-making processes at the highest levels in western societies.

This process is supported by Digital Radicalisation through the IRGC cyber army operating directly on the internet and social networks consisted of dissemination of hateful content like antisemitism in cyberspace, misinformation drives especially on the Palestine issue, cyber warfare, and the calling of Muslims living in Western countries to jihad against Christians and Jews to defend Islam. Hence, the Digital Radicalisation Campaign strategy – in own turn – complements and supports the Local Radicalisation Campaign strategy.

The digital Radicalisation campaign strategy ensures that those who might be excluded from local Radicalisation efforts due to reasons such as job constraints or lack of time are targeted by Radicalisation programs in Iran, particularly in Qom.

However, the IOPHR points out that the local and digital radicalisation schemes are just two key strategies of hybrid warfare and establishing coordination and unified management between terrorist organisations and groups involved in organised crimes, such as human trafficking, trafficking of women and children, organ trafficking, and drug trafficking, is another key strategy of hybrid warfare aimed at gradually eroding western societies.

The official reports confirm that the IRGC, a state paramilitary organisation, has uniquely combined state terrorism with organised crime by involving itself and its proxies like Hezbollah in drug trafficking, money laundering and other criminal activities aiming the erosion of foundations of democratic societies.

Therefore, while appreciating the recent but late action of the German government, the IOPHR emphasises the imminent danger posed by the hybrid war that threatens all democratic societies. IOPHR notes that the only effective response to this immediate danger is to declare the IRGC as a terrorist group.

Failure to take urgent action will lead to increased violence and chaos caused by radicalised Muslim youths who view themselves as soldiers or warriors of the Caliph i.e. the religious leader of ruling regime of Iran rather than committed citizens of their residing societies. Each day of inaction heightens this risk, making it imperative for democratic societies to act swiftly.

IOPHR also reiterates once again the urgent need to reduce diplomatic relations between democratic governments and the ruling regime of Iran as the embassies of the regime in democratic countries are actively engaged in destructive activities against these societies and are abusing diplomatic privileges and immunities to undermine free and liberal societies.

It is clear that delaying the implementation of this urgent measure will have disastrous consequences for liberal societies.

The International Organisation To Preserve Human Rights

London, Brussels, Berlin, Toronto, Washington

31st July 2024

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