The Free Gaza Movement and the Global Muslim Brotherhood

The Free Gaza Movement and the Global Muslim Brotherhood

Since the founding of Free Gaza, individuals tied to the Global Muslim Brotherhood have participated in its flotillas. The most important of these was Yvonne Ridley, a UK journalist who was aboard the first Free Gaza flotilla in August 2008. Ms. Ridley is best known for her capture by the Taliban while an undercover reporter and her subsequent conversion to Islam after her release. Ms. Ridley has had close ties to the UK Muslim Brotherhood since that time, including serving as a Respect Party politician and as a journalist for the

Islam Channel, and she went on to play an important role in later flotilla efforts. 98 99 100 101 Israeli analysts have already documented that many individuals tied to Muslim

Brotherhood organizations were part of the Gaza Flotilla, including those affiliated with UK, Israeli, Egyptian, Jordanian, and Yemeni Brotherhood groups. 102 Also playing an important role in the flotilla was Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of the Northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, considered to be the most extreme wing of the movement that essentially comprises the Muslim Brotherhood in Israel. Salah has been frequently the subject of Israeli law enforcement action, which accused him

of aiding Hamas and inciting violence in Israel. 103 104 Perhaps the most significant individual who was part of the flotilla was Akram Kassab, known to be the personal secretary of Youssef Qaradawi. 105 106 Kassab was also one of the founding members of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) headed by Qaradawi. His first cited published work is titled “Zionism and the Threat to Humanity.” 107

Less well known are the European and Turkish Global Muslim Brotherhood groups that provided substantial support to the flotilla. There are three such groups that can

be identified:

XV The IDB has an extensive history of support for Islamist causes. For example, while Gul was beginning his term at the IDB in 1983, the Bank was supporting the Islamization of Sudan. See http://www.acpr.org.il/nativ/0811-6-rehrenfeldE1.pdf.

1. The European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza (ECESG)

The ECESG had its own ship in the Gaza Flotilla, described by the Israeli government as a small passenger boat. 108 The executive director of the ECESG is Arafat Madi (aka Arafat Madi Shoukri) who is also an executive of the London-based Palestinian Return Centre (PRC), which has strong ties to the global Muslim Brotherhood. 109 For example, two PRC directors are also directors of the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB),

part of the UK Muslim Brotherhood. 110 111 112 113 PRC director Ghassan Four is also a Trustee of INTERPAL, a key member of the Union of Good and part of the Muslim Brotherhood Hamas fund-raising network. 114 115 PRC director Zaher Birawi is a Trustee of Education Aid for Palestine (EAP), also a part of the Union of Good. 116 117 The PRC has also been the co-sponsor of several conferences in Europe associated with Hamas, including the Sixth Palestinians in Europe Conference, which featured Nihad Awad of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), former US. Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammad Akram Al-Adlouni, and Raed Salah, identified above as a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Israel and close to Hamas. 118 The 2009 conference was addressed via video link by Gazan Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. 119

2. International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza

The International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza (ICBSG) was also one of the flotilla organizers and is led by Mohammad Sawalha, identified by Israeli sources as “a senior Hamas activist who publicly supports jihad.” These same analysts report that Sawalha was formerly involved in both political and operational Hamas activities in Judea and Samaria, including running the terrorist operative infrastructure.” 120 The analysts go on to say that Sawalha escaped from Israel to Jordan where he has been involved with anti-Israeli activities as well as being part of organizations providing support for Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They also identify Sawalha as a founder of the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) and a chairman of the British Muslim Initiative (BMI), both organizations being part of the UK Muslim Brotherhood.

3. Turkish/Muslim Brotherhood Network

Although not constituted formally as an organization, a group of six Turkish NGOs. including the IHH. acted in concert with the Global Muslim Brotherhood to support the Gaza Flotilla. Two of the most important leaders of this network are Turkish citizens of Arab origin who are also leaders within European Global Muslim Brotherhood organizations. The remainder of this report will explore these organizations and their leaders, referred to hereafter as the Turkish/Muslim Brotherhood network.