The Ikhwan in Switzerland

The following article concerns the Muslim Brotherhood in Switzerland. FouseSquawk, who translated the piece from Italian, includes this note:

Ticino is the sole Italian-speaking canton in Switzerland. The Islamic Community of Ticino is the principal Islamic organization in the canton.

The translated article from Ticino Online:

“The Muslim Brothers are not outside the law in Switzerland”

The State Counsel responds to the inquiry by Tiziano Galeazzi and co-signatories about the financing of the Islamic community by Qatar

Bellinzona — The Islamic Community of Ticino has received money, specifically 1.7 million Swiss francs, from Qatar. That is what emerged from the book Qatar Papers, which was published in recent months in France. Revelations that have caused polemics and questions in our canton, including inquiries presented by Tiziano Galeazzi and co-signatories with the concern that Qatar “is commonly recognized as being very close to the Muslim Brotherhood.”

Religious Liberty — An Inquiry, to which the State Counsel responded yesterday with a long promise

“Let’s remember that the subject is principally under federal jurisdiction,” the government writes, and that “freedom of religion and conscience is guaranteed by the Federal Constitution and the Cantonal Constitution,” a fundamental right that “applies to every citizen equally, independent of their religion.”

“Not outside the law”

Before answering questions, he also noted that “Up until now in Switzerland, the Muslim Brotherhood movement has not been considered an illegal terrorist movement; it is not among the entities which could be objects of monitoring on the part of the intelligence service of the Confederation (SIC)” and “though they represent one of the more important Islamist organizations, and their political approach to Islam is often very radical, that is not sufficient to consider them outside the law.”

Protection of information

The government can neither confirm nor deny that the founders of the Islamic community were members of the Muslim Brotherhood fundamentalist movement, because, “it is neither legitimate nor appropriate that the State Counsel gather information in order to associate organizations with the Muslim Brotherhood,” also in harmony with the rules on “protection of persons and information.”

Being radical “is not illegal”

The government had been asked, “in what manner it monitors and prevents in order to avoid radical ideologies from expanding and coming into conflict with our laws and our Constitution.” On that point, it is noted that “in Switzerland, being a radical Muslim is not considered illegal” and “in absence of activity that instigates violence, there is no legal basis to act.” The canton is, at any rate, equipped with a means of prevention of radicalization and violent extremism, and the responsible services of the cantonal police are in contact with federal authorities.

The funding coming from Qatar and destined for the Islamic Community in Ticino, therefore, “doesn’t constitute a crime as long as it occurs in a transparent manner and doesn’t violate Swiss rules,” and “cannot be the object of investigations.”

One thought on “The Ikhwan in Switzerland

  1. I read once in a Balcan Youth Forum that a Son of a so called Moderate Imam in Switzerland was writing Islamist [offal]…

Comments are closed.