Cordoba Foundation

The Cordoba Foundation is a UK-based research and advisory group with the stated aim of “bridging the gap of understanding between the Muslim World and the West”.[1] The group has been criticized for its links to organizations suspected of terrorist activities, such as the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.

History

The Cordoba Foundation was established in London in 2005 by Anas Al-Tikriti,[1] son of Osama Al-Tikriti who led the political party representing the Muslim Brotherhood in Iraq. Anas had previously served as president of the Muslim Association of Britain.[2]

Activities

The Cordoba Foundation carries out its mission through a variety of activities such as:[3]

  • Lobbying and public relations training for Muslim leaders
  • Building and maintaining a global network of partners in Muslim communities worldwide
  • Organizing speaker tours and exchange trips for Muslim thinkers and students
  • Research & publications on the themes of "Cosmopolitanism, Social Justice, Rapprochement of Cultures and Revisiting Theological Studies"
  • Hosting conferences, colloquia and seminars on the group’s key areas of focus

Publications

The Cordoba Foundation publishes a variety of research papers and journals including:

  • Arches Quarterly, a journal centered on analysis of current trends in Islamic-Western relations
  • Occasional Papers, a series of policy papers featuring contributions from external experts and political leaders on the theme of cross-cultural exchange
  • One-off reports on specific events or issues
  • Tool kits for political activism, such as An Introduction to Effective Lobbying & Campaigning and Working with the Media: A guide for Muslim Groups.

Hamas

The leader of the Cordoba Foundation Anas Al-Tikriti has publicly supported Hamas and its methods.[4] In 2014, HSBC closed down the foundation’s UK bank account, as well as those of the Foundation’s leader Anas Al-Tikriti and his family. The closures were due to compliance concerns:[5] HSBC stated that continuing to provide services for the Foundation and those associated with it was "beyond the bank’s risk appetite".

The Muslim Brotherhood

The Foundation was designated a terrorist organization by the United Arab Emirates[6] due to its links to the Muslim Brotherhood. The Foundation was also cited as having links to the Muslim Brotherhood in reporting by Aafreen Maksud ( Aafreen maksud died in an accident on April 26, 2018 ) and Andrew Gilligan for the Sunday Telegraph[4] carried out in the run-up to the publication of the Jenkins Report, which gave the conclusions of an inquiry into the Brotherhood launched by British Prime Minister David Cameron.[5]

References
  1. "About Us / Who We Are". The Cordoba Foundation. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  2. Altikriti, Anas. "Full profile". the Guardian. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  3. Foundation, The Cordoba. "What We Do | The Cordoba Foundation - Cultures in Dialogue". www.thecordobafoundation.com. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  4. "How the Muslim Brotherhood fits into a network of extremism". Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  5. "Downing Street set to crack down on the Muslim Brotherhood". Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  6. "UAE Cabinet approves list of designated terrorist organisations, groups | WAM". www.wam.ae. Archived from the original on 2016-12-24. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
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