VZCZCXRO3586
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK
DE RUEHAG #0024/01 0821112
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 231112Z MAR 07
FM AMCONSUL HAMBURG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0128
INFO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0120
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
RUEHAG/AMCONSUL HAMBURG 0147

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HAMBURG 000024 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/IR AND EUR/AGS 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  3/23/2017 
TAGS: PHUM PREL GM IR
SUBJECT: ISLAMIC CENTER HAMBURG'S AYATOLLAH SHARES INITIATIVES, 
THOUGHTS ON U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS 
 
REF: E-MAIL CORRESPONDENCE PAETZOLD-NEA/IR 03/08/07 
 
HAMBURG 00000024  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Duane Butcher, Consul General, U.S. Consulate 
General Hamburg, U.S. Department of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1.  (C)  SUMMARY:  CG Hamburg and Embassy Berlin Iranwatcher 
hosted an informal meeting at the CGR with the head of the 
Islamic Center of Hamburg (ICH), Ayatollah Seyyed Abbas Hosseini 
Ghaemmaghami on March 20.  Ghaemmaghami, an Iranian national who 
has served as the ICH director since 2004, discussed his 
background, his initiatives at the ICH, and called for the U.S. 
to engage directly with Iran, noting that bringing the current 
leadership to the negotiating table would be a victory in 
itself.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (C) Ghaemmaghami was joined by his brother-in-law, who is 
also the ICH's Deputy Director, Seyyed Nasir Mohammad Taghavi 
and a Farsi-German interpreter Dr. Yousef Amirian.  ConGen 
Hamburg Pol/Mil Off and Berlin Iranwatcher were also present. 
The Islamic Center of Hamburg (ICH) has served the Shi'ite 
community in Hamburg since 1955; its director has been 
historically considered the Shi'ite leader for all of Europe. 
Prominent former directors of the ICH include former Iranian 
President Mohammad Khatami (who served at the ICH from 
1978-1980) and the late Ayatollah Mohammad Hosseini-Beheshti 
(1965-1970). 
 
¶3.  (C) BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION:  Ghaemmaghami, who appears to 
be in his late 30s, told the CG that he is youngest person in 
history to have achieved Ayatollah status, and still remains the 
youngest Ayatollah.  He completed his Ijtihad theological exam 
before the age of 20, having studied in Qom and at the 
University of Tehran, where he later also taught as a professor. 
Ghaemmaghami spoke most of the time in Farsi, but occasionally 
made comments in German and appeared to understand portions of 
German conversation.  Ghaemmaghami also related his family's 
prominent Persian lineage: his great grandfather served as a 
royal advisor and teacher in the Qajar Dynasty and was an early 
patron of the revered 19th century Iranian royal advisor and 
bureaucratic reformer Amir Kabir. 
 
¶4.  (C) VISITS TO U.S. IN 1990s:  During the discussion, 
Ghaemmaghami detailed at length a visit to the University of 
Kansas in 1994 on the invitation of then-Senator Robert Dole. 
He was also invited to the University of California, Berkeley, 
to hold lectures at the Department of Philosophy in 1995.  Later 
in the conversation, when asked his opinion of Hamburg, 
Ghaemmaghami contrasted the relative aloofness of Germans and 
his "too few friends" in Hamburg to the warmth and friendliness 
he experienced while in the U.S. 
 
¶5.  (C) ICH INITIATIVES FOCUS ON RELIGION IN EUROPE: 
Ghaemmaghami outlined a number of his initiatives at the ICH. 
First, he is trying to instill the idea of "European Islam" in 
his followers, noting that the Islam in Iran differs from that 
of Arabia or Africa, and so on.  He emphasized the need for 
Muslims to leave behind some of their cultural baggage when 
arriving in Europe, but dodged questions about how specifically 
his European Islam would differ from practices at home.  A 
second endeavor focuses on strengthening the European network of 
Shi'ite theologians, regardless of their nationality. 
Ghaemmaghami related that he had recently established a Union of 
Shi'ite Teachers and Theologians, which he leads. 
 
¶6.  (C) Third, he mentioned his efforts to depoliticize the ICH. 
 He noted that his congregation is not exclusively Iranian and 
that he must consider this fact in his work.  Dissatisfaction 
had been expressed within the community about these changes, he 
said, but he has the situation under control.  (NOTE: While 
Ghaemmaghami did not elaborate on the details of what 
depoliticization means, we have been told recently by both 
state- and federal-level Offices for the Protection of the 
Constitution that Ghaemmaghami has forbidden Hezbollah members 
from holding political meetings at the ICH, a change from 
earlier practice.  END NOTE) 
 
¶7.  (C) THOUGHTS ON U.S.-IRANIAN RELATIONS:  When asked about 
the nuclear standoff, Ghaemmaghami repeated "I am not a 
politician", but proceeded to opine that it would be best if the 
U.S. and Iran would talk directly.  Ghaemmaghami noted that in 
the 30 years of no diplomatic relations between the two 
countries, factions in Iran had benefited politically from their 
anti-U.S. stances.  He related a number of personal 
conversations with former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami, 
during which Khatami claimed that American overtures had been 
made for direct discussion.  Khatami had cited pressure from 
(and fear of) these anti-U.S. factions as a major cause in his 
 
HAMBURG 00000024  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
failure to reach out to the U.S.  Now that these factions are in 
power, getting them to the negotiating table should be seen as a 
victory in itself. 
 
¶8.  (C) In one of his few questions, Ghaemmaghami inquired as to 
whether the CG or other U.S. diplomats were in regular contact 
with their Iranian counterparts in Hamburg.  He appeared 
genuinely surprised when the CG explained that, though we would 
behave politely with our Iranian official counterparts, official 
contact is prohibited.  The Ayatollah said that he thought that 
only Iranian diplomats were subject to such restrictions. 
 
¶9.  (C) INVITATION TO ICH:  Ghaemmaghami closed the afternoon by 
extending an invitation to the CG to visit the ICH, noting that 
it would be no problem for them to host such a visit.  He 
expressed interest in a further meeting with the CG. 
 
¶10.  (C) COMMENT:  Ghaemmaghami's reputation for charisma, 
charm, and eloquence were on full display during the two and a 
half hour meeting.  At times direct and at other times politely 
(but purposely) vague, Ghaemmaghami spent much of the time 
relaying his points wrapped in anecdotes and references to 
events and personalities in Shi'ism and Persian history (but 
interestingly, never the Koran).  Ghaemmaghami's assertion that 
he is not politically minded was quickly undermined by his 
multiple references to his relationship with Khatami.  While he 
may refrain from overtly political activities in his current 
position, he appears (at first glance) to be well-situated, in 
terms of age and qualifications, to launch a political career, 
following in the footsteps of his ICH predecessors.  END COMMENT. 
BUTCHER