Egypt Designates Islamic Institutions in Europe as Terrorist Entities

Sudanhorizon– Agencies

The Egyptian judiciary has issued a decision to designate 35 entities and 36 individuals as terrorists for a period of five years. This includes Islamic institutions and councils in several European countries, among them entities concerned with issuing fatwas, imams’ affairs, and women’s issues.
According to the Egyptian Gazette, issue number 250 (supplement), published on Tuesday, the list of designated entities includes a number of institutions and councils working in the Islamic field in Europe, including the European Muslim Council, the European Council for Fatwa and Research, the European Council of Imams, the European Council for the Muslim Family, the European Council for Muslim Women, the European Council for the Holy Qur’an, and the European Islamic Students’ Forum.
The list also includes the Muslim Association of France, the Islamic Association of Britain, the Muslim Association of Switzerland, the German Islamic Assembly, the Islamic associations in Sweden and Italy, as well as the European Institute of Human Sciences and its various branches, and other entities.
The institutions listed operate in a variety of fields, including issuing fatwas and conducting Sharia research, training imams and preachers, providing religious education, and organizing family and women’s affairs for Muslims. This gives the decision a broader scope than individuals, extending to institutional frameworks operating in more than one European country.
According to Russia Today, among these institutions is the European Council for Fatwa and Research, established in London in 1997 and headquartered in Ireland. It describes itself as a specialized Islamic body comprising scholars and researchers, aiming to issue collective fatwas and address the jurisprudential issues facing Muslims in European societies. The European Council of Imams also works in the areas of religious guidance and the affairs of imams in Europe.
The process of listing entities and individuals on terrorism lists in Egypt is based on Law No. 8 of 2015 concerning the regulation of lists of terrorist entities and terrorists, and its amendments. This law stipulates that the listing period shall not exceed five years, while allowing for the matter to be referred back to the competent court to consider extending the period according to the conditions and procedures stipulated in the law.
The publication of decisions to designate entities under Article 7 of the law entails legal consequences, including banning the entity, suspending its activities, prohibiting funding it or fundraising on its behalf, freezing the funds and assets covered by the decision, and prohibiting joining or promoting it unless the competent court decides otherwise.
This new decision comes within the context of Egypt’s use of the judicial and legislative framework regulating lists of terrorist entities and individuals. This time, the published list extends to Islamic institutions and associations operating outside the country, particularly in Europe.

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