Quilliam Foundation
This article is part of the Counter-Terrorism Portal project of Spinwatch. |
The Quilliam Foundation is a London based think-tank purporting to challenge Islamic extremism in the UK. Incorporated as a limited company on 20 Nomember 2007, the Foundation was launched on 22 April 2008 recieving significant financial assisstance and media attention. Even thought the exact figure is unknown, it has been reported that the Quilliam Foundation "received £700,000...as part of...Prevent, [which] included £400,000 from the Office for Security and Counterterrorism.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag
At the Foundation's launch advisor Abdel-Aziz Al-Bukhari reportedly argued in his speech that Muslims should 'love, obey and respect' the government.[1]. Former ambassador Craig Murray sees a party-political reason behind the New Labour government's support of the Foundation. He has described it as 'the branch of New Labour tasked with securing the Muslim vote and reducing British Muslim dissatisfaction with New Labour over the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.'[2]
Activities
The Foundation's first publication, "Pulling Together to Defeat Terror: Recommendations for Uprooting Islamic Extremism", says that if Muslim leaders "must realise that the foreign policy of the British government will not be held hostage by any one community," and argued that the editors of "liberal newspapers" should "think twice before allowing column space to Hamas and its supporters while they remain committed to the destruction of Israel".[3]
Funding
On the day of the launch the director Maajid Nawaz told Newsnight: "We have absolutely not received government money ,despite being offered it by the Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund, and we have said that it is not appropriate for us at the moment - although I would emphasise that I don't have a problem in principle in receiving taxpayers' money for a good cause, as long as it comes with no strings attached."[4]. However, according to Craig Murray the government has underwritten the Foundation's operations to the tune of £1 million in taxpayer money.[5] Co-director Ed Husain has stated that the Foundation is receiving private Kuwait funding.[6]
Personnel
- Maajid Nawaz – Director
- Ed Husain – Co-Director
- Rashad Ali – Head of Research and Policy
- Ashraf al-Hoque – Research Fellow
Advisors
- Paddy Ashdown - Politicians
- Sheikh BaBikr Ahmed BaBikr
- Giles Fraser - Church of England Vicar
- Catherine Fieschi
- Timothy Garton Ash
- David Goodhart
- Dr David Green
- Shaikh Dr Usama Hassan
- Dr. Ghayasuddin Siddiqui is a leading British Muslim spokesperson.
- Michael Gove MP
- Imam Dr Musharraf Hussain al-Azhari
- Reza Aslan
- Parvin Ali, OBE
- Sherin Khankan
- Shaikh Abdel-Aziz Al-Bukhari
- Shaikh Dr Abdul Hameed al-Ansari
- Shaikh Ali al-Saleh al-Najafi[7]
Contact Information
Registered office:
- 34-36 High Holborn
- London
- WC1V 6AE
- email: information@quilliamfoundation.org
- Tel: 020 7193 1204
references
- ↑ Ziauddin Sardar, 'To lionise former extremists feeds anti-Muslim prejudice', The Guardian, 24 April 2008
- ↑ Craig Murray, New Labour Corruption and Quilliam, CraigMurray.org.uk, April 2009
- ↑ Susannah Tarbush, 'The Quilliam Foundation', Al-Hayat, 26 May 2008
- ↑ Susannah Tarbush, 'The Quilliam Foundation', Al-Hayat, 26 May 2008
- ↑ Craig Murray, New Labour Corruption and Quilliam, CraigMurray.org.uk, April 2009
- ↑ Susannah Tarbush, 'The Quilliam Foundation', Al-Hayat, 26 May 2008
- ↑ Advisors, accessed 26 April 2008.
