The Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE), representing the European Muslim Brotherhood, has announced plans for three more affiliated organizations. According to the FIOE announcement, the first planned organization will be known as the European Committee for the Muslim Family:
In the field of the Muslim Family the Executive Office discussed the suggestion of forming the European Committee for the Muslim Family to care for this unit which is considered to be the destiny of Muslims in Europe, the announcement of this specialized institution comes after the large success of the Muslim Family Campaign, which was initiated by the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe in June 2009, and continued in all European regions through-out the year. Many Islamic institutions in Arab countries participated in the campaign headed by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The Executive Office also discussed the need of the Federation for service societies since they are considered the true pulse of Islamic values which the Muslim minorities were not realistically capable of portraying in past decades, relying on theoretical arguments which were not beneficial in light of the circumstances, where societies need action more than words, such as the case after the economic crisis. In light of this direction the Executive Office discussed the suggestion of the European Charity Work Organization, inside Europe, to participate in serving European societies, and stressing the presence of Muslims and their interest in the problems and finding solutions. This should help in changing the stereotype that has clung to Muslims in the past decades, making them seem fully dependant on these societies. With this project European Muslims can start working and giving to establish their belonging and commitment to Europe.
The second planned FIOE organization is the European Media Center:
Media was not absent from the Federation files, whereby the suggestion submitted by Al Raed to form the European Media Center was discussed. It aims at focusing all separated efforts in the media field, to cover the European region and overcome this shortcoming. The project consists of media work based on three sites; one site which concentrates on Federation work, and another site which deals with the news of the Muslims of Europe and the third is a specialized media site for the media market. These files will be presented to the Consultative Council which should meet in Istanbul from the 5th to the 7th of February 2010.
Finally, FIOE is planning for the European Center for Leadership Development:
In order for the Federation to have an aware administration which can answer to the necessities of the age, the Executive Office discussed the suggestion of the Human Resources Department to establish a European Center for Leadership Development. The idea of the project is based upon the fact that there is great leadership potential, competencies and expertise in the youth ranks of the Federation in all fields, but this great wealth of human resource is as yet untapped and makes the benefits minimal, which necessitates developing and activating it in specialized areas, to be able to reap the full benefits in a way which conforms to the size of the Federation.
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.
FIOE already has many established affiliated organizations including the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), it’s theological body, the Europe Trust, it’s funding/endowment arm, and the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO), the youth arm of FIOE. Recent months have seen the launch of other new FIOE organizations including the European Assembly of Muslim Imams, the European Authority for the Defense of Muslim Rights, and the Federation of Muslim Scouts in Europe. The establishment of multiple, and often redundant organizations, is a trademark of the global Muslim Brotherhood.