Islamic extremism a concern for Estonian Security Police

TALLINN- Peeter Oissar, chiefsuperintendent 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 ofthe future and it was therefore necessary to deal with it. He said SecurityPolice are dealing with anticipation of the problem.

 "The need for it rises from Estonia being a part of the commonsecurity environment of the European Union where according to the generalunderstanding, Islamic terrorism is regarded as a serious danger," thechief superintendent said.

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

But Oissar added that the number of immigrants from North Africa, the MiddleEast and Asian islamic countries had been constantly increasing, particularlyafter Estonia's accession to theSchengen visa space.

The local Muslim community has been establishing more and more contacts withMuslim communities in foreign countries and their contact persons or structureswere 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 oforganizations connencted with terrorism," he pointed out.

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

The chief superintendent said that it is entirely possible for a mosque tobe 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.