Islamic extremism a concern for Estonian Security Police

Jan 26, 2009
TBT staff in cooperation with BNS

TALLINN- Peeter Oissar, chief superintendent of the Estonian Security Police, said Islamist extremism may be a future concern for Estonia.  

According to Postimees, Oissar said that Islamic extremism was a problem of the future and it was therefore necessary to deal with it. He said Security Police are dealing with anticipation of the problem.

 "The need for it rises from Estonia being a part of the common security environment of the European Union where according to the general understanding, Islamic terrorism is regarded as a serious danger," the chief superintendent said.

He said most of the local Muslims were from the former Soviet Union and integrated into the Estonian society.

But Oissar added that the number of immigrants from North Africa, the Middle East and Asian islamic countries had been constantly increasing, particularly after Estonia's accession to the Schengen visa space.

The local Muslim community has been establishing more and more contacts with Muslim communities in foreign countries and their contact persons or structures were connected not with peaceful Islam alone, said the chief superintendent, according to whom some Islamic organizations had become interested in Estonia.

"They have not been entered into the generally accepted lists of organizations connencted with terrorism," he pointed out.

He quoted the example of Jamaat Tabligbhi, which had recently been the most interested in Estonia, and which radicals had taken advantage of for their aims.

The chief superintendent said that it is entirely possible for a mosque to be built in the future, but sees no need to prevent it.

He said four or five attempts to build a mosque in Estonia had been made since the late 1980s.

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