Community welcomes Cameron’s review of Muslim Brotherhood

Jewish community groups have welcomed news that Prime Minister David Cameron has ordered an investigation into the Muslim Brotherhood in the UK, including the scale of its operations in the country.

News of a review into the Brotherhood’s “philosophy and activities” and the government’s policy towards it comes after reports that the group’s leaders met in London last year to plot their response to its overthrow in Egypt.

“We welcome this news and hope that the Muslim Brotherhood’s various malign influences upon domestic UK matters is also to be examined,” said Mark Gardner, a director at the Community Security Trust (CST).

Similarly, Paul Charney of the Zionist Federation said the Brotherhood “pioneered an extremist brand of Islamic supremacy that is ideologically opposed to all liberal and democratic ideals, including that of Jewish self-determination”.

He added: “It is vital that their toxic message is challenged wherever it is promoted, especially on campus, and we support all reasonable efforts to marginalise the group, here and abroad.”

Since the military ousted the democratically-elected Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi in July last year, it has been blamed for a wave of violence and has since been declared a terrorist organisation.

Long banned under previous Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak, it emerged during the Arab Spring and did well at the polls, but was accused of mismanagement while in office, with hundreds killed in the rioting that followed.

The group insists it remains an entirely peaceful organisation but is accused of being behind a wave of deadly attacks on the police and military.

The Prime Minister’s review is being led by Sir John Jenkins, Britain’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, which has also declared the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation.