Saudi Arabia ‘is chief funder of UK extremists’

SAUDI Arabia is the chief source of foreign funding for Islamist extremism in Britain, a report has claimed.

The Henry Jackson Society think-tank called for a public inquiry after it revealed that government-linked groups in Saudi had funded hardline mosques in Britain that have been accused of fostering extremism.

There are also 24 ‘Saudi schools’ in the UK, some of which use the same textbooks as Islamic State does in areas it controls. Report author Tom Wilson said: ‘There is a clear and growing link between foreign funding of Islamist extremism and violent terrorism in the UK and Europe. While entities across the Gulf have been guilty of advancing extremism, those in Saudi Arabia are undoubtedly at the top of the list.’

Saudi Arabia’s efforts to export its hardline Wahhabi Islamic doctrine has led to support for mosques that appear to have links to extremism, the think-tank said.

It found ‘numerous’ cases of Britons joining jihadi groups whose radicalisation linked back to foreign-funded institutions.

The UK’s Saudi Arabia embassy said the claims were ‘categorically false’.

A Government spokesman said: ‘We are determined to cut off the funding which fuels the evils of extremism and terrorism.’