Radicalisation among Irish Muslims has worsened over the past two years and the government should step in to help, a leading Islamic scholar has said.

Umar al-Qadri, of the Irish Muslim Peace & Integration Council, said that well-funded groups were sending radical Islamic preachers to Ireland, which was helping to fuel fundamentalism.

“In the past two years, we have seen an increase in groups trying to find a base in Ireland,” he said. “We are seeing a radical agenda being pushed by some organisations.”

Dr al-Qadri said that the Muslim community had integrated well into Irish society but that he saw “troubling signs” for the next ten years unless the government helped moderate groups who taught a peaceful message of Islam to young people.

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