‘Unacceptable’: Iranian Lawmaker Blasts Sweden’s Allegations Against Islamic Center
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of Iran’s Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, described the claims as “completely unacceptable and illogical,” emphasizing that Islamic centers operate “transparently” and engage solely in religious activities.
“This illogical action and stance of the Swedish government are quite surprising as the scope of activities of Islamic centers is clear—they engage in religious affairs,” Boroujerdi said on Tuesday. “Therefore, this move appears to be nothing more than an unjustified pretext.”
He further criticized Sweden’s approach toward the MKO terrorist group, asserting that its influence in Sweden is evident. “This step by the Swedish government should be analyzed within this same framework,” he added.
“It is unfortunate that the Swedish government has fallen into the trap set by the MKO terrorist group. We regret this but remain hopeful that Sweden will correct this mistake as soon as possible,” he said.
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Boroujerdi’s remarks came in response to Sweden’s government, which on Monday accused the Imam Ali Islamic Centre in Stockholm of being used by Iran for intelligence gathering and activities. Sweden’s Minister for Social Affairs made the claim in a post on X.
In a statement on its website, the Islamic Center denied any links to political parties or foreign states. “IAC maintains strict oversight to ensure that our premises are not used as a platform for any criminal activity,” it said, refuting allegations of receiving funding from foreign governments.
Meanwhile, the mosque’s imam, Mohsen Hakim Elahi, was arrested nearly two weeks ago and is facing deportation from Sweden, according to Swedish media reports. The newspaper Expressen reported that he is being held in a Swedish Migration Board detention center.
Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, stated that Iran had summoned Sweden’s ambassador in Tehran to protest the detention, with the Iranian Foreign Ministry criticizing the conditions of his arrest.
“Diplomatic regulations were not respected in his case, he was not allowed to see his family members or Iranian diplomats, which begs questions and to which we express our objection,” a foreign ministry spokesperson was quoted as saying.
Ismail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, also rejected Sweden’s allegations as “baseless” and described Sweden’s recent actions as “not constructive.”
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He suggested that external influences were shaping Stockholm’s decisions. “Certain decisions appear to be influenced by third parties that do not have the best interests of Iran and Sweden in mind,” he said.
The Imam Ali Islamic Center, established in 1997, is an independent religious association located in Järfälla Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden. As the largest Shia mosque in the Nordic region, it serves as a hub for religious and cultural activities for Muslims, particularly Shia adherents, in Scandinavia.
The center organizes daily communal prayers, Friday prayers, Quran recitations, and various religious and cultural celebrations. It also offers educational programs for children and adolescents during weekends.
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