European Scouting Organization Meets In Brussels; Ties To Global Muslim Brotherhood

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The Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE) has reported on a recent meeting of the leadership of the Federation of Muslim Scouts in Europe. According to the FIOE report:

The leadership of the Federation of Muslim Scouts in Europe held a meeting on January 23rd and 24th 2010 in the Belgian capital of Brussels. The attendees discussed the plan of the federation for the 2010 – 2011. The dates were also set for the coming scout camps as follows; the second training camp for leaders and councilors on March 19th, 20th, 21st 2010, the concluding training camp for the current scout session will be held in Istanbul from the 23rd to the 26th of September 2010. All attendees agreed that it was important to establish new scout groups in all mosques and Islamic centers in Europe, to be an educational incubator for boys and girls. The meeting was attended by the General Scout Leader Mr. Selim Bin Omara, who stressed the importance of preparing for the international scout camp, which will be held this year in Poland, since it will be a good opportunity to represent European Muslim scout activities to the world.

The FIOE web site states that the Federation of Muslim Scouts in Europe is a FIOE member organization but it is also likely related to the International Union of Muslim Scouts (IUMS) which in 2006 co-sponsored a five-day leadership course in Switzerland for young Muslim scouts in conjunction with FIOE. The IUMS is headquartered in Saudi Arabia and is recognized the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) and the International Islamic Council for Da’wa and Relief, both organizations tied to the global Muslim Brotherhood.

A report on FIOE by the NEFA Foundation describes the organization as follows:

The Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE) claims to be an independent organization representing the interests of Muslims in Europe. In reality, the FIOE is an umbrella group that comprises the global Muslim Brotherhood in Europe. Strong links connect FIOE’s leadership central institutions and member organizations to the Brotherhood, as well as to Saudi Arabia. Funding for the FIOE is derived largely from Gulf sources, including some of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates. The FIOE has strong ties to Hamas and Hamas fund-raising organizations, and some FIOE member organizations show evidence of links with Al-Qaida. The FIOE recently opened a headquarters office in Brussels and has had some success in positioning itself as a “dialog partner” for the EU and other important institutions.

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