British Organisations Reject PM’s Statement on MB Review

The Undersigned organisations (Finsbury Park Mosque, MuslimAssociation of Britain and The Cordoba Foundation) reject the findings announced by Prime Minister David Cameron in his statement in Parliament on 17th of December 2015, pertaining to the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) Review. Published 18 months late and merely hours before Parliament’s Christmas recess, the Prime Minister named a number of British organisations, including the Undersigned, as having links to the Muslim Brotherhood. Whilst falling short of calling for a ban thereof, the statement makes sweeping generalisations and negative characterisation of the MB and the British organisations allegedly linked to it, as a threat to national security.The Undersigned organisations totally reject the allegation that they are in any way linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. Despite believing the MB to be the most important democratic Islamic political actor of our time, which counters the nihilistic rhetoric of the likes of ISIS, the Undersigned are British organisations which operate under and are regulated by British laws and regulations exclusively. None have ever previously received any caution or notice of wrong doing throughout their respective years of service. Indeed, all three organisations
have been commended for their efforts in serving various causes and upholding values of community, charity, democracy, dialogue, outreach and transparency. The Undersigned are shocked to find a clear correlation between the findings announced by the Prime Minister, and the revelations made in a number of British newspapers over the past few months, regarding untoward influence and pressure exercised by a foreign government regarding this Review in particular, in exchange for contracts. Such
revelations are cause for even more concern given the fact that this foreign government has been exposed for its gross human rights abuses and its brutal punishment of any democratic voices within its midst. At a time when the Government claims that its main concern is to counter extremism of all kinds, and commits resources to fighting terrorism abroad, it is astonishing that it published findings which allude to parity between law-abiding and outstandingly performing British organisations which believe in and promote democracy, equality, freedom and human rights, with those who do not. The Undersigned demand a complete review of the poorly-structured and mistake-ridden ‘Main Findings’ published by the Government, the full and transparent publication of the John Jenkins Review which cost British Taxpayers millions of pounds and the opening of channels of serious dialogue on confronting the challenge of extremism facing our society.