Islamic extremism being exported from the Gulf

Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia are exporting Islamic extremism to the UK and other Western countries, a security think tank has claimed.

The Henry Jackson Society said last night there was growing evidence that foreign funding had had a considerable impact on advancing Islamist extremism in Britain and other Western countries. It called for a public inquiry, saying there was little understanding in government about the issue.

The society said funding for Islamist extremism in Britain primarily came from governments and governmentlinked foundations in the Gulf, with Saudi Arabia the foremost sponsor, taking the shape of endowments to mosques and Islamic educational institutions, which have, in turn, played host to Islamist extremist preachers and distributed literature.