Lorian

Here is a WikiLeaks cable from 7th July 2006. Designated - 06DUBLIN798 “Ireland: Islam in Europe” From the US embassy in Dublin. This is a confidential U.S. diplomatic assessment of Ireland's Muslim community even all the way back in 2006. It examines the growth of Islam in Ireland, the influence of particular religious organisations, debates over Islamic law in Europe, and the different approaches Muslim leaders took towards integration. Post 9/11 paranoia towards Muslims in the United States was full swing at this stage in the aftermath of 7/7 in UK The cable is particularly interested in the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) in Clonskeagh, Dublin, and the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), which was based there. It also assesses several individual Muslim figures and their influence. Importantly, this is the U.S. Embassy's assessment at the time, based partly on interviews and second-hand accounts. Key points 1. Growth of Ireland's Muslim population The embassy reported that Ireland's Muslim population had grown from fewer than 4,000 people in the 1991 census to an estimated 30,000-plus by 2006 (100,000 now). 2. The Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) The cable describes the Clonskeagh centre as Ireland's largest mosque and a major point of contact between the Muslim community, the media and the Irish government. You'll remember this was the mosque where executives stepped down last year over Muslim brotherhood ties. • The building was funded by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the Maktoum Foundation in the UAE. • Its imam, Egyptian cleric Hussein Muhammad Halawa, also served as secretary-general of the ECFR. The cable also records allegations by other Muslim figures that the centre was influenced by conservative religious networks. The Americans warned of extremist activity in Dublin which the Irish authorities ignored. 3. Yusuf al-Qaradawi and the European Council for Fatwa and Research The ECFR was based at the Dublin centre and chaired by Egyptian-born cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi. The organisation issued religious guidance, or fatwas, to Muslims living in Europe. Al-Qaradawi envisaged a more consistent approach to Islamic religious rulings across European countries. The U.S. Embassy questioned how influential the organisation actually was, noting that it had no enforcement powers and that its formal meetings were infrequent. It also recorded criticism of al-Qaradawi's views and his links to the Muslim Brotherhood. 4. Anjem Choudary and extremist rhetoric The cable recounts a March 2006 public debate in Dublin involving British Islamist activist Anjem Choudary and Ali Saleem, described as an Egyptian-Irish national employed by the ICCI. According to the embassy's account, Choudary argued that civilian deaths in the 9/11, Madrid and 7/7 attacks were justifiable losses in a struggle for a global Islamic state. The cable also cites contemporary press reports that he had described Ireland as a legitimate terrorist target because U.S. military aircraft refuelled at Shannon Airport. These are serious claims reported by the embassy; the document records its account of the debate and earlier press reporting rather than providing a judicial finding. Other figures mentioned for suggested consideration of inclusion due to various views. • Shaheed Satardien, • Mazhar Bari, a college professor and local politician. • Dr. Allama Zille Umar Qadri. • Dr. Ali Al-Saleh, a leader of Dublin's Iraqi Shi'a community. 6. Allegations concerning the Muslim Brotherhood Some Muslim figures interviewed by U.S. diplomats alleged that leaders associated with the ICCI and the South Circular Road Mosque had Muslim Brotherhood connections. It reports that some people regarded the ICCI leadership as influential in dealings with the Irish government. At the same time, the cable acknowledges that ICCI representatives publicly opposed violence. state.sgov.gov/p/eur/dublin/….