The European Assembly of Muslim Imams and Spiritual Guides (Al-Tagammu Al-Urubi Lillaimah val Murshideen) has been established following meetings in Brussels over more than 100 Imams from around Europe at the end of February 2008. According to Shakib Benmakhlouf, the President of the Federation of Islamic Organisations in Europe (FIOE), the assembly’s goal is to preserve Muslim identity and prepare Muslims to play a civilizing role in their European homelands. It also aims to educate imams about European history, law, culture, society and politics. The Assembly is a non-governmental organization and will be based in Brussels with branches in other European countries. Wanis El-Mabrook was elected as the leader. El-Mabrook has an MA which examined fatwa in Western countries from Wales University and is the former manager of an Islamic Center in Sheffield, England. He is also currently a professor of Fiqh and director of the European Institute for Humanitarian Studies in Birmingham.
