Google and Apple are under pressure to remove a Muslim Brotherhood-sponsored app that has consistently ranked in the top 100 download charts in their stores across multiple European countries.
The Euro Fatwa app ranked strongly during the pandemic after the platforms failed to respond to government warnings that it had the potential to act as a gateway for extremism.
Officials around Europe have warned about the threat posed by the product and the organisations promoting it. "The app is a building block in the process of radicalisation," Germany’s federal office for the protection of the constitution, the country's domestic intelligence agency, said earlier this year.
Research available to The National shows that the app ranked as the 34th most popular among all downloads in Finland in September and just last week it was 45th in Ireland.
Earlier this month it sat at 55th in the German download charts. In Sweden, which has been contending with extremism issues in recent months, it was listed at number 59 in June.
That the "hate" app is downloaded thousands of times during the rolling Covid-19 lockdowns across the continent has sparked warnings from experts that extremists would take advantage of the pandemic to focus on the young and vulnerable.
Data from Apptweak shows downloads peaked in Germany, France and the Netherlands during the first weeks of their national lockdowns in the spring.
The app was created 18 months ago by the European Council for Fatwa and Research, a private Dublin foundation set up by Yusuf Al Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Despite calls from politicians across Europe for it to be withdrawn from Apple and Google app stores, it is still available in many countries.
Hover over each country to see where they rank in the Euro Fatwa app download chart.
British politician Ian Paisley, who has repeatedly called for the UK to ban the Muslim Brotherhood, said he was “utterly outraged” by the internet companies failure to remove the device.
"These statistics show how insidious Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated groups are," Mr Paisley told The National.
“They are exploiting vulnerabilities of social media. There is clearly a complete failing by governments to take action.
"If social media giants do not want to act, then it is the responsibility of governments to act by regulating and imposing massive fines on these platforms.
“The UK government should call a conference with the countries at the top of this list and determine a joint way of exposing, challenging and undermining these extremist groups.”
The UK government has criticised those making the app available for download, saying it would take tough action on social media companies that help to promote hate.
Yet no nation has the powers to prohibit the app, only to impose sanctions on companies from which the Euro Fatwa App is available.
"This clearly shows that social media giants are not taking the threat of extremism and anti-Semitism seriously," Ghanem Nuseibeh, the chairman of Muslims Against Anti-Semitism, told The National.
“It is only when they are placed under public pressure do those giants act.
"The Muslim Brotherhood, which is the group behind the Euro Fatwa app, is the most potent force in spreading anti-Semitism in Muslim communities in Europe.
“A great deal of damage has already been done and if Google and the other giants want to show they are serious about tacking extremism and anti-Semitism, they need to act immediately.”
Among the statements on the app that have drawn concern is one that European laws do not have to be obeyed should the user believe they contradict Islam.
In one instance, it tells followers in the British Army that they can disobey orders and do not have to swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen.
When it was launched, the app contained an introduction by Al Qaradawi in which he made derogatory references to Jews in regards to historic fatwas.
While the Google store initially pulled the app because it used Al Qaradawi's statement, the developers removed his introduction, leading to its restoration. Critics argue this was a cosmetic change.
“The app was removed once Google was alerted to the fact that Al Qaradawi was the inspiration behind it,” Mr Nuseibeh said.
“The developers then removed him from it but left everything else on it untouched, and Google reinstated it.
"It shows that Google is either unwilling to act against extremism and anti-Semitism, or is not simply capable of doing so.
“For the app developers to essentially dupe Google to have the app reinstated and then have it downloaded so many times across Europe places a huge responsibility on Google and Apple to act immediately.”
Al Qaradawi, who lives in Qatar where the app ranked 64th this year, is banned from the US, UK and France for his extremist views.
French senator and member of the Gulf-French Friendship Committee, Nathalie Goulet, has also led calls for it to be banned and labelled it as “poisonous”.
Earlier this year, Ylva Johansson, on behalf of the European Commission on internal security, said it was for individual states to take action but that the EU advocated the removal of extremist content.
“It is primarily for member states to assess whether the Euro Fatwa app in question infringes law and to take measures, as appropriate,” Ms Johansson said.
“In September 2018, the commission presented a proposal for a regulation on preventing the dissemination of terrorist content online to ensure that material that incites, encourages or advocates terrorist offences is swiftly identified and removed.
"This proposal for a regulation is currently being negotiated by the European Parliament and the Council.”
Hans-Jakob Schindler, director at the Counter Extremism Project, said tech companies were failing to tackle extremist content.
"The CEP is very critical of the tech industry for its failings to adequately monitor and moderate its products so that they do not cause harm," Mr Schindler told The National.
“Self-regulation has clearly failed and existing regulations should be strengthened.
"As long as there is not a more stringent regulatory framework, including fines that are significant, and far more transparency in the industry, issues such as the Euro Fatwa App will remain unresolved.”
Google told The National that it orders investigations when issues are brought to its attention.
"While we can't comment on individual apps, we'll take swift action against any apps that break our policies once we've been made aware of them, including those containing hate speech," it said.
Apple said the app had not breached its guidelines.
"We put great effort into curating the App Store to provide the very best experience for everyone,” it said.
“Our guidelines require that apps don’t contain upsetting or offensive content, ensuring the App Store is a safe marketplace for all.
"We reviewed the app and did not find a violation of our guidelines.”
The Dublin-based developers of the app have not responded to The National's request for comment.
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
The biog
Age: 30
Position: Senior lab superintendent at Emirates Global Aluminium
Education: Bachelor of science in chemical engineering, post graduate degree in light metal reduction technology
Favourite part of job: The challenge, because it is challenging
Favourite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Gandi
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Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Zayed Sustainability Prize
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Jawan
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
The biog
Name: Salem Alkarbi
Age: 32
Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira
First started supporting Al Wasl: 7
Biggest rival: Al Nasr
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
