The UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) unveiled last week its new Foreign Office's Advisory Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief, featuring Tariq Ramadan, grandson of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood Hassan el-Banna, from Cairo writes Adam Hayaty... The group, chaired by Senior Minister of State Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, is a sub-group of the Foreign Secretary's Human Rights Advisory Group, intended to advise the FCO on how to promote and protect the right to freedom of religion and belief worldwide. The UK government's decision stirred controversy, not only because it coincided with a long-overdue investigation into the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood in the UK, but also because Tariq Ramadan, along with Baroness Warsi, are rumoured to be linked with radical Islamist groups. In June 2012, Prime Minister David Cameron ordered wide investigations over Warsi's undeclared links to Abid Hussein, a relative by marriage, with whom she is involved in a catering business. Hussein admitted that he had been involved in Hizb ut-Tahrir, a radical Islamist party that the Conservatives had pledged to ban. Tariq Ramadan, 51, is a Swiss citizen and a professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford University. He was a member of a taskforce set up by Tony Blair after the 7 July 2005 London suicide bombs that killed at least 52 civilians. Ramadan's grandfather, Hassan el-Banna, founded the Muslim Brotherhood in 1928, while his father Said Ramadan is a Muslim Brotherhood member who was exiled from Egypt by the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser. Further, Tariq Ramadan has been criticized for his 'doublespeak,' having been alleged to be moderate when speaking to Western audiences and academics, but giving more extreme speeches to radical Islamists and young Muslims. On the other hand, his supporters promote him as an example of an Islamic reformer who is at the forefront of developing a European-friendly Islam. A Foreign Office spokesman said: "Ramadan wrote and taught extensively on Islamic issues, and therefore has plenty of relevant experience to bring to the group." Yet, Ramadan who is also the Head of The Research Centre for Islamic Legislation and Ethics was banned from the United States until January 2010 for "providing material support to a terrorist organization." The appointment of Ramadan as Cameron's religious advisor has also sparked controversy in Egypt, with some observers raising doubts about the seriousness of the British government's probe into the Muslim Brotherhood activities. Sameh Eid, a researcher in the affairs of Islamist movements, said the move reflects the lack of seriousness of the British government's inquiry into the Brotherhood activities. He said London had announced the probe "just to appease Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates." He noted that some intelligence leaks showed that Britain had supported the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt for fifty years for "political reasons". Expert in Islamist movements Maher Farghali said Ramadan's appointment reflects "the Muslim Brotherhood's penetration in Europe." He noted that the Brotherhood group has nearly 39 associations in Britain alone. For his part, head of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights Naguib Gabriel said the appointment of Hassan el-Banna's grandson as Cameron's advisor would embarrass the UK government with regard to its decision to review the Brotherhood activities at home. "The implementation of the decision will face obstacles, but the British government is determined to implement it," he said.
