BY ALEXANDER MELEAGROU-HITCHENS

In August a number of Scottish Parliamentary questions were logged with the Scottish Executive about the Scottish Islamic Foundation (SIF).  The answers have been issued this week.

The Centre for Social Cohesion long ago identified the SIF as the leading Islamist group in Scotland. Last month, I blogged about the SIF having to return a substantial amount of tax payer money granted to them by Alex Salmond.

It now transpires that this organisation had attracted a substantial amount of attention from Scottish Labour MPs last month, when they asked a number of questions in the Scottish Parliament about their funding.  Although there is little new information in the answers, it is nonetheless noteworthy that Scottish MPs have taken an active interest in learning more about this group.

Questions and answers listed below:

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Islamic Federation will be required to repay all or part of the grant awarded to it over a year ago for a festival that has not yet taken place. (S3W-26328)
Alex Neil: The Scottish Islamic Foundation has repaid £128,000 of the original £200,000 grant for IslamFest to the Scottish Government.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19741 by Fergus Ewing on 23 January 2009, whether there has been an evaluation of the Scottish Islamic Foundation finance event scheduled for June 2009 and part-funded by the Scottish Government. (S3W-26404)
Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the Scottish Islamic Foundation's financial event, Etisal, will be evaluated. (S3W-26629)
Fergus Ewing: All projects funded by the Scottish Government require monitoring and evaluation to take place as part of the standard funding conditions.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations have agreed to fund the Scottish Islamic Foundation's financial event, Etisal, in November 2009. (S3W-26626)
Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has each sponsoring organisation agreed to contribute to the Scottish Islamic Foundation's financial event, Etisal. (S3W-26627)
Alex Neil: Any additional funding for the event is a matter for the Scottish Islamic Foundation.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what input, other than financial, the Scottish Government will have to the Scottish Islamic Foundation's financial event, Etisal (S3W-26628)
Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has no other input in relation to this event.


Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Libya, as a member state of the Organisation of Islamic Conference countries, has been invited to support or participate in Etisal, the investment and trade conference being organised by the Scottish Islamic Foundation. (S3W-26647)
Alex Neil: This is a matter for the Scottish Islamic Foundation. We have been advised that there has not been any communication with Libya.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of any foreign trips undertaken by Osama Saeed on behalf of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Islamic Foundation or any other relevant body funded by the Scottish Government. (S3W-27047)
Alex Neil: Osama Saeed, Chief Executive of the Scottish Islamic Foundation, has not undertaken any foreign trips on behalf of the Scottish Government.

focusonislamism@standpointmag.co.uk