Denmark: Islamic Society connected to Muslim Brotherhood

The Islamic Faith Society is also known as the Islamic Society in Denmark.

----

Two of the country's leading experts in religion believe that the Copenhagen-based Islamic Faith Society patterns itself after the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the world's most influential organisations supporting Islamic fundamentalism.


Both Kate Østergaard of the University of Copenhagen and Tina Magaard of Aarhus University have researched the practices, publications and teachings at the Islamic Faith Society and are convinced that there is a direct link between it and the Egyptian-based Muslim Brotherhood.


'The Islamic Faith Society belongs to that branch of Muslim organisations which work together with society's democratic representatives, but whose aims are geared more toward Islamicising democracy than democratising Islam,' Magaard told Berlingske Tidende newspaper.


While the Muslim Brotherhood does not officially support the use of terror, several of its former members have established terrorist organisations and its ultimate goal is to spread fundamental Islam throughout the Western world.


Magaard believes that is also the goal of the Islamic Faith Society.


'Hizb-ut Tahrir and the Islamic Faith Society work through different means to achieve the same goals - specifically, the institution of Islamic law and ultimately the establishment of an Islamic state,' said Magaard. 'While (controversial Islamic group) Hizb-ut Tahrir represents a more bombastic and often violent rhetoric, the Islamic Faith Society prefers to operate through co-operation with the Danish authorities to get gradual results.'


Magaard said that several of the faith society's imams have themselves pointed to the Muslim Brotherhood as an ideological role model. Its leading imam, Mostafa Chendid, called controversial Egyptian Yussuf al-Qaradawi - who supports terror action in the name of Islam - as his primary source of inspiration. Imam Abu Laban, Chendid's predecessor who was accused of fuelling Arab hatred of Danes during the Mohammed cartoon incident of 2006, also cited the group as a great influence.


As recently as last week, the Islamic Faith Society was bombarded with numerous verbal attacks from MPs because its spokesperson, Kassem Ahmad, had participated in an anti-Mohammed cartoon rally with Hizb-ut Tahrir.


Denmark has been accused in the past by the US and other countries as being a safe haven for Muslim terrorists. A new report from the Dutch intelligence service AIVD has also indicated that several groups in Denmark have ties to Islamic fundamentalists.


Source: The Copenhagen Post (English)

See also: Denmark: Turkish Muslims oppose Islamic Society, Denmark: Islamic Society accused of being radicals/apostates, Copenhagen: Al-Muhajiroun office opening, Copenhagen: Imams cooperating with Hizb ut-Tahrir