A Middle Eastern nation with a Muslim majority, the United Arab Emirates, has decided to halt sponsorship for students wanting to study in the UK. This decision comes amid worries that these students might be vulnerable to radicalization.
According to a news agency based in London, officials in the UAE believe that British educational institutions could expose students to brainwashing by the Muslim Brotherhood. This group is deemed a terrorist organization in the UAE, along with several other Middle Eastern nations like Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Interestingly, while the organizations labeled as terrorists vary by country, some American states like Texas and Florida share this designation for the Muslim Brotherhood, although it does not carry the same label at the federal level in the U.S.
The UAE’s Ministry of Education, along with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has historically funded tuition, living, travel, and health insurance for exceptional students exploring degree options in key areas. However, now, students hoping to study in the UK will need to fund their education independently.
This shift is not entirely surprising. The UAE has been actively opposing the Muslim Brotherhood for years, even supporting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during his 2013 coup that removed a government associated with the group.
Notably, a British government review in 2015 highlighted that the Muslim Brotherhood’s values contradicted those upheld in Britain, suggesting that involvement with the organization might be indicative of extremism. Still, the country has not officially classified it as a terrorist entity.
In the UK, some Islamic organizations, like the British Muslim Association and the British Islamic Society, face scrutiny for potentially harboring ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
