A network of Islamic charities in Europe finances terrorism in the Middle East The Muslim Brotherhood, with Qatar’s…

A network of Islamic charities in Europe finances terrorism in the Middle East The Muslim Brotherhood, with Qatar’s backing, has constructed an elaborate network of Islamic charities in Europe that raise funds to support terror groups in the Middle East. Many of the organisations involved are registered as legal charities or humanitarian groups, allowing them to take advantage of the openness of Europe’s liberal democracies. What is already known about these organisations will shock you. 🧵 1/8

At the centre of its operation is the Union of Good, a financial umbrella organisation founded by Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who is often described as the “spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood” and who played an important role in shaping Islamist political thought in the modern era. Qaradawi lived in Qatar for decades under the protection of the ruling Al Thani family. He received Qatari citizenship, substantial properties and a diplomatic passport. From Doha, he headed the International Union of Muslim Scholars and broadcast via Al Jazeera, giving Qatar a direct channel to shape Islamist ideology across Europe. 🧵 2/8

The Union of Good was established in the early 2000s as a fundraising campaign for Palestinians during the Second Intifada. After the campaign’s “success,” it became a permanent organisation that moves funds from Islamic charities in Europe to Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Its activities are tied to a concept known as “financial jihad,” which expands jihad to include financially supporting fighters and militant groups. The system relies heavily on zakat, the religious obligation for Muslims to donate money to charity. Because zakat is a religious duty, it creates a continuous stream of donations. 🧵 3/8

Even though the Union of Good was designated as a terrorist organisation by the U.S. in 2008, the network through which it operates is stronger than ever. The Union of Good works through more than 50 charities worldwide, many of them based in Europe and funded by Qatar, a country that has long been the primary state sponsor and host of the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideological leadership. 🧵 4/8

Perhaps the most notable of these so-called “charities” is the UK-based Interpal, which describes itself as a humanitarian organisation providing aid to Palestinian refugees. Its former leader, Ibrahim Hewitt, is a British convert to Islam infamous for authoring the book What Does Islam Say?, in which he outlines classical Islamic rulings on social issues, such as stoning women who commit adultery to death and severely punishing homosexual acts. A 2006 BBC investigation stated that Interpal’s donations helped build Hamas’s financial infrastructure. Yet it remains an active charity in the UK today. 🧵 5/8

Interpal and similar UK charities have operated within the broader European Muslim Brotherhood ecosystem, which receives sustained funding and political cover from Qatar. Another major organisation connected to the network is the Al-Aqsa Foundation, founded in Germany, which Western intelligence agencies suspected of being a major fundraising network for terrorists in the Middle East. In 2003, Sheikh Mohammed Ali Hassan al-Moayad, head of the Al-Aqsa Foundation’s Yemeni branch, was arrested and admitted to transferring money to Hamas. 🧵 6/8

How is the Union of Good’s network able to operate freely in Europe? The main reason is its decentralised structure. Rather than maintaining a strict hierarchy, the network operates through personal relationships and loosely connected organisations. When one charity is shut down, fundraising is shifted to another organisation or resumed under a new name. 🧵 7/8

Islamists have uncovered a structural vulnerability within European democracies, and Qatar has exploited it by pouring millions into Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated mosques, schools, youth organisations and “humanitarian” charities. In Europe, they are creating the next generation of European Muslims who adhere to the Brotherhood’s ideology of political Islam. In the Middle East, they fund terror groups such as Hamas. Because these organisations operate under the banners of religious freedom and humanitarian aid, they appear legitimate and are difficult to restrict without clear evidence of terrorist financing. Nevertheless, they are a real and active part of the Islamists’ agenda. 🧵 8/8