Not sure how accurate it is though, this is a small group of 600 or so Tartars, from the Finnish Islamic Association, who are pretty much secular, I could think of far worse here. But if they have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, then I’ll have to re-evaluate my understanding of the group.
If it’s a matter of a ”translation error”, then lets have the right one, and pronto.
Officials question inclusion of Finnish Tatar Muslims on terror watch-list
Foreign Ministry official says a translation error may be responsible for the group, known in Finland for their moderate Islamic beliefs, ending up on a list of suspected terrorist organisations published yesterday by the United Arab Emirates.
A Finnish association of Tatar Muslims has been included on a list of organisations with suspected terrorist links published by the United Arab Emirates.
The Finnish Islamic Congregation comprises about 600 members, with mosques in Helsinki and Järvenpää. On Saturday the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK revealed that the group is among a handful of Nordic Islamic organisations whose names have been added to the United Arab Emirates’ terror watch list.
However Finnish officials, including the security services and the foreign ministry, said they were trying to discover the reasoning for the group’s inclusion. The Finnish Islamic Congregation is only open to members of the Tatar community, an ethnic and linguistic minority who became established in Finland during the 1800s, and who have a reputation for practising a moderate form of Islam.
Translation error
Ilkka-Pekka Similä, Finland’s ambassador to the UAE, told Yle he believed the inclusion could be the result of a translation error, and said he expected to find out early next week why the group has been classified as having terrorist links.
The security police also said on Sunday they are investigating the decision.
Four other Nordic Islamic associations were also included on the UAE’s list, according to the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK. These included some of the largest Islamic organisations in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
Speaking to NRK, spokespeople from each of the groups denied any link with terrorist activities.
Finland’s Tatar population numbers around 1,000. The first Tatar Muslims were believed to have come to Finland shortly after the country became an autonomous grand duchy under the Russian tsar in 1809. The Finnish Islamic Congregation was founded in 1925 and became Europe’s first Muslim association to be officially recognised by a state.
