LONDON: Britain’s largest Islamic organisation which claims to speak on behalf of most of the country’s Muslim population has undeclared links to the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood, according to a new UK government report.
Brotherhood supporters have “played an important role in establishing and then running” the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), a group of more than 500 Islamic organisations that is often deferred to the voice of mainstream Islam in Britain, the review says finally recognising what those in the UK counter-terrorism community have been warning about for many years.
The Brotherhood has exerted “significant influence” on the MCB, the Muslim Association of Britain and an organisation described as “Britain’s largest Muslim student organisation”, which is believed to be a reference to the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS).
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The Muslim Brotherhood is an international movement that views Western society with suspicion, describing it as “inherently hostile to Muslim interests”. Although the report does not find any links between the Brotherhood and terrorism in the UK, it does say that many of its leaders openly support Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians. (The Times)