The Hamad Bin Khalifa Civilization Center, commonly known as the Grand Mosque of Copenhagen, was established by the Danish Islamic Council through an initial $27 million grant from Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former Emir of Qatar. While the center officially markets itself as a hub for “intercultural dialogue and coexistence”, Danish intelligence analysts and media outlets, including the prominent daily Berlingske, have tracked a continuous consolidation of foreign control.
This consolidation of foreign control began when a major institutional shift saw Qatar complete a total takeover of the mosque’s governing board. Critical board members were systematically replaced by figures directly tied to Qatari state apparatuses, including Shaheen al-Ghanem, a former director at Qatar’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs. This structural capture has cemented the mosque’s role as a primary European output for Qatari-backed ideological projects.
The Muslim Brotherhood Connection
The link between the Grand Mosque and the Muslim Brotherhood becomes apparent upon a closer look of its founding organization and its international patrons:
• The Danish Islamic Council (DIR): European intelligence agencies routinely identify the DIR as a primary representative of the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE), the central umbrella apparatus used by the Muslim Brotherhood to exert institutional entryism into Western societies.
• Ideological Symbiosis: Qatar has long served as a safe haven and major financial benefactor for the Muslim Brotherhood. Analysts point out that by controlling the Copenhagen Grand Mosque through state funds and Brotherhood-aligned management, the institution effectively propagates the Brotherhood’s “soft-power” strategy in Scandinavia. This strategy relies on creating parallel societal ecosystems to gradually shift the values of diaspora Muslim communities away from democratic integration
Anti-Western Influence and Extremism Scandals
Despite claims of being a modern Danish-Muslim space, the institution has repeatedly been caught fostering deeply anti-Western and fundamentalist rhetoric. Imams tied to the center, such as Abu Bilal Ismail, were exposed on hidden camera teaching strict Sharia punishments – such as as stoning for adultery – directly antagonistic to Western human rights.
Key religious figures linked to the apparatus have faced international condemnation for delivering sermons calling for the extermination of Jewish people.
Prominent spokespeople from the founding council have pathologized Western societal norms including describing homosexuality as a “sickness” on the eve of the mosque’s opening.
The Danish State Counter-Offensive
The activities at the Hamad Bin Khalifa Civilization Center have catalyzed a sweeping political response within Denmark. The Danish government has consistently pushed back against foreign-backed radicalization through several decisive legislative actions:
•Foreign Funding Ban: Spurred largely by the Berlingske investigations into the Qatari control of the mosque, Denmark passed legislation aimed at scrutinizing and banning financial donations from foreign regimes and organizations that seek to undermine democratic values.
•Integration Enforcement: Broad political consensus in Denmark continues to enforce secular legal frameworks, cracking down on parallel legal systems (such as underground Sharia courts) and restricting the campus operations of groups promoting non-violent extremism or anti-integration doctrines.
Despite these ernest attempts by the Danish state, the Copenhagen Grand Mosque remains a stark example of how foreign state funding and Islamist networks exploit Western democratic freedoms to establish centers of illiberal influence.