Report reveals countries that fund Spain's Islamic communities

Six Muslim countries are sponsoring Islamic communities in Spain through donations that often fall into the hands of radical groups or individuals without scruples, according to a secret report by Spain's intelligence services.

The document, sent by the head of the National Intelligence Center (CNI) to the foreign, interior and defense ministers on May 16, sounds the alarm on the financial aid provided by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Libya and, above all, Morocco to the 1.2 million Muslims living in Spain.

"The consequences of this financing result in negative attitudes for peaceful coexistence, such as the creation of ghettos and parallel societies, Islamic courts and police systems outside the law, girls being taken out of school, forced marriages and so on," reads the CNI report, which has been accessed by EL PAÍS. "There is not enough control over the financial flows represented by donations and aid from other countries to Spain's Islamic community," the report continues. "It becomes necessary for the donor countries to be fully aware of the risks entailed by financing individual requests."

The Spanish government wants oil monarchies such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia to only fund projects that have been first submitted to the Islamic Commission of Spain (CIE), the official mediator, for approval. In the mid-term, however, Spain wants to end foreign intromission.

"The right to and the management of Spaniards' religious freedom, no matter what their faith, cannot be dependent on any foreign country," read a joint report by the justice and interior ministries in 2009.