Tehran gives MB piggyback ride in Latin America

Hanaa Qandeel

Decades ago, a group of extremists and fundamentalists linked to Tehran and the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood managed to have footholds in different countries in Latin America. The host countries turned sanctuaries for fugitive extremists and terrorists when the pathfinders deepened their presence and encouraged them to come over. 

Investigating suspicious activities in Brazil, The Reference could declare confidently that Teheran-MB alliance has manufactured a conspiracy, which threatened national security in different Latin American countries. 

Shi’ia expansionist strategies in Latin America

Encouraged by the success of the Iranian revolution in 1979, the Shi’a regime in Teheran sought strongholds in Latin America. Nonetheless, efforts initiated by the Iranian regime to stimulate its Shi’a expansionist policy focused on Brazil. According to a report published by the American magazine National Interest, the influence of these Shi’a platforms in this Latin American country started to echo strongly in the early 1980s. 

In its edition in April 2016, National Interest, which is published by Nixon Research Centre, attributed the rise of Shi’a influence in Brazil to the big Shi’a community formed by Shi’a migrants from Lebanon and Iraq. The American magazine said that Teheran-linked Hezbollah had found it an easy task to tout Shi’a ideology in big Brazilian states, such as Sao Paolo and Parana. National Interest estimated the Shi’a population in Brazil at 7000 people living in the city of Foz do Aguacu, which lies on the Brazilian borders with both Argentina and Paraguay. The Shi’a migrants in this border city built a Shi’a mosque named after Imam Khomeini, who triggered the Iranian revolution against Shah Iran.   

In the meantime, Shi’a community in the city of Curitiba, launched several charity projects to strengthen their presence and consolidate their unity. The Shi’a migrants were also keen to publish a Portuguese magazine to attract the attention of locals to Shi’a ideology.  

Islamic charity organisations sponsored by Shi’a community also established a big mosque and an Islamic centre in Sao Paolo. Deeply concerned over the growing Shi’a influence, Sunni migrants in Brazil protested against Shi’a attempts to encroach on their activities and embarrass their presence in this Latin American country. It is known that Teheran had earlier offered US$1m in aid to a Sunni mosque to convert its management to Shi’a clergy.      

On the other hand, Teheran sought cooperation with Islamic movements and organisations under the Mb’s authority in Brazil by inviting their chairmen and managers to visit Teheran and discuss synchronization of their steps mutual interests in Latin America. 

One of MB’s high-profile activists in Brazil, Ahmed el-Sayefi, was invited several times to visit Teheran and had talks with Shi’a mullahs. The Reference had earlier revealed details of a visit el-Sayefi, who is the founder-chairman of the Islamic Call in Latin America,  had paid to Teheran. He expressed his gratitude to his Shi’a hosts for their warm welcome.  

The Reference also learnt that returning from Teheran, el-Sayefi decided to mobilise his the potentials of his facility to broadcast the MB’s ideology, which intersected with Shia’s. El-Sayefi, who established his ICLA in Brazil in 1987, also launched brainwashing activities, which included entertainment camps, periodicals and press releases. In addition, he organized annual conferences to bring Sunni and Shi’a migrants in Latin America together.    

The Lebanese-born el-Sayefi was arrested in Syria in 1964 for cooperating with the Syria-based MB.  Investigation conducted jointly by the Lebanese and Syrian security authorities revealed that el-Sayefi had several meetings with the MB’s notorious members, including Essam el-Attar, Zoheir el-Shawish and Omar el-Khatib. 

Reliable sources told The Reference that the Iranian government managed to have access to universities and institutes in Brazil by inviting their professors to visit Teheran and have talks with their Iranian counterparts.  Moreover, the Iranian regime has made several attempts to infiltrate the Brazilian parliament through Muslim employees there.  It has been disclosed that the Iranian regime is planning to build an Islamic university in Sao Paolo to teach the Shi’a ideology to Portuguese students. 

According to the Saudi magazine Ukaz, Hezbollah-linked elements were accused of involving in crimes threatening the national security in different Latin American countries, such as money laundering and drug trafficking.  The Saudi magazine’s report in this respect was substantiated by the UAE’s El-Ein.  

Argentina’s anti-terror squad last year arrested Hezbollah’s activist, Fadi Hassan Nabha, together with 12 Brazilians for planning terrorist attacks during the 31st Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.