Situation in Estonia

The direct terrorism threat to Estonia continues to be low - there are neither national nor international terrorist groups and according to the information of the Security Police there are no supporters of such groups either.

The majority of the Estonian Muslim community is still made up of individuals who came from the territory of the former Soviet Union: Tatars, Chechens, Azers etc. They have integrated well into the society of Estonia and there is no reason to associate them with radical Islam. On the other hand, the number of Moslem immigrants arriving from the so-called risky countries from the standpoint of counter-terrorism combat (North-Africa, the Middle East, Islamic Asian countries) is also on the increase. The interest taken by such persons in coming to Estonia has increased due to Estonia's joining the Schengen zone at the end of 2007. There have been more cases of persons applying for an Estonian visa with the aim of entering the Schengen area and continue from here to some other EU member state.

Although there are no national Islamic groups operating in Estonia, the interest expressed in the Moslem community of Estonia by Islamic organisations of different foreign states showed a growing tendency in 2008. There is reason to associate some of these organisations or their individual members who have visited Estonia with supporting radical Islam. Their interest in the Moslem community of Estonia manifests itself both in visiting Estonia and giving financial support, local Moslems have also been invited to various events abroad. The principal goal of visiting Estonia is to activate the local Islamic community and to guide the Moslems on the right path. Depending on the form of Islam being represented, these visits entail the danger that anti-Western propaganda is disseminated among the Moslems of Estonia and they are induced to follow radical Islam.

The Moslems in Estonia also show interest in establishing and deepening foreign contacts, largely prompted by the wish to find supporters for building a mosque in Estonia. Among the organisations with whom the Moslems of Estonia have had most contacts over the recent years are Jamaat Tabligh and Al-Waqf Al-Islami. Jamaat Tabligh is an Islamic movement founded in India in the 1920s, active in spreading Islam and missionary work, in that regard often compared to Jehovah's Witnesses. Regardless the fact that Jamaat Tabligh has not been directly associated with terrorism, there is evidence that terrorist groups have used the cover of Jamaat Tabligh in travelling and recruiting members. Several Jamaat Tabligh members have later joined terrorist groups, the most famous examples are the "shoe bomber" Richard Reid and the "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh.

Al-Waqf Al-Islami is a charity organisation established in Saudi Arabia, the subsidiaries of which located in different European countries have built several mosques and schools of the Wahhabi tradition. In several countries the mosques financed by Al-Waqf have been suspected in disseminating radical views. For example, the Netherlands has encountered problems with foreign imams financed by Al-Waqf who preach radical and violent Islam. Al-Waqf Al-Islami has also become a major donor for the Moslem community in Estonia, yet it has not been ascertained so far that its representatives would have propagated radical Islam.