The Scottish Islamic Foundation (SIF), a new group that acts a vehicle for Muslim Brotherhood ideology, has organised a meeting between the Scottish government and the head of Al-Jazeera in an attempt to encourage the Arabic news channel to set up a bureau in Scotland.
The Herald newspaper reported yeterday that the SIF had arranged for Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's Deputy First Minister, and Wadah Khanfar, the director general of Al-Jazeera, to meet in Glasgow to discuss opening a Scottish bureau while the latter was in Scotland to deliver a speech at the International TV Festival in Edinburgh earlier this week.
The SIF and Al-Jazeera potentially have a great deal in common.
The SIF is led by Osama Saeed, a former spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain, a British version of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the group has regularly invited Muslim Brotherhood leaders to speak in Scotland. The links between the SIF and the Brotherhood are outlined in a CSC briefing which is available online here.
Al-Jazeera also regularly acts as a platform for leading Muslim Brotherhood members - in particular for Yusuf al-Qaradawi, widely regarded as the Brotherhood's spiritual leader, who has a weekly programme on the channel entitled Al-Shariaa wa Al-Haya (Sharia Law and Life).
The outcome of the meeting between the Scottish government and al-Jazeera is, as yet, uncertain. The Herald reported that "Al Jazeera may open bureau in Scotland" while The Times stated firmly that "Al-Jazeera is to create a new outpost in Scotland ".
