The Federation of Islamic Organizations (FIOE) has issued a statement on its Fourth General Assembly which was held in Turkey from June 4th to June 7th. According to the statement:
Mr.Chakib Bin Makhlof, the President of the Federation presented a report on the activities of the executive office during the previous year, focusing on the most important achievements and events of the central departments and specialized divisions, highlighting both the positive and negative effects on the status of Islam. He also mentioned in his report that the general performance of the Federation was satisfactory, with most of the objectives being realized with the approach of the concluding phase of the current session, even though there were some obstacles and hindrances to be overcome. He also stressed the importance of constant dialogue within European societies, and the propagation of the spirit of tolerance and the respect of cultural diversity within individual societies.
Following brief and very general summaries on the work of FIOE departments, the statement indicated that a new FIOE entity was being created to fight “Islamaphobia”:
In light of the rising wave of Islamophobia, the Assembly discussed the previously proposed decision of establishing an entity to protect and defend the rights of Muslims. It viewed the accomplishments of the committee designated to this task and expressed its approval of the outcome and efforts, and encouraged moving forward on this front.
The report also indicated that FIOE had been active in Gaza during the recent crisis there:
The Assembly discussed world events of 2009 and their effect on the Islamic world in general and Europe in specific. The attendees discussed the means to deal with new developments in line with the doctrines of moderation, positivity, justice, the creed of non-violence and supporting the innocent victims of hostility and aggression. The Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe had followed these world events, and issued many statements calling for rationalism in thought as well as justice and mercy in actions, based on the global godliness of Islam the True Religion. The Federation also made a field visit to Gaza during the siege, taking medical supplies and aid to the victims. It has also adopted a project to build a Secondary school in Gaza, since the merciless aggressors destroyed almost all schools in the area.
A report on FIOE by the NEFA Foundation describes the organization as follows:
The Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE) claims to be an independent organization representing the interests of Muslims in Europe. In reality, the FIOE is an umbrella group that comprises the global Muslim Brotherhood in Europe. Strong links connect FIOE’s leadership central institutions and member organizations to the Brotherhood, as well as to Saudi Arabia. Funding for the FIOE is derived largely from Gulf sources, including some of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates. The FIOE has strong ties to Hamas and Hamas fund-raising organizations, and some FIOE member organizations show evidence of links with Al-Qaida. The FIOE recently opened a headquarters office in Brussels and has had some success in positioning itself as a “dialog partner” for the EU and other important institutions.