ET HE Intelligence Assessment SECRET/ CSIS1A 2009-10144 2009 1201, Islamist Extremists and the Freemasons Summary The Freemasons area ssetve society belived by some te very powerful and influential, Islamist extremists ee the Masons as part ofa Westem crusade against Islam. Freemasonry is seen as diret threat to Islam, LotSECRET/ Head IAB, CSIS_PUBLICATIONS / $CRS_PUBLICATIONS ‘hep ema de he uy of te Dc, Cain Seay eign Sen, eo ee norm there cllnge eps annoy whoa bene ty lat ‘yt fn evn oft, ‘Tee my bey ade nel rpm egy ames. Noire yi cone had e eine ue eps peer cy wet pornos ih CIS. Te ‘Deen CSS, ald be normed ny oon any ep ces ‘hs oume cots asl hy emt ad npn ne Ae fri A ‘Pro 4th rain ties yb and nse Conde Enh Te ‘tomo rl mats be da lw rent at omlon vt aly ‘eter ee Introduction 1. The Freemasons have been featured in pats of modem pop cultures an l-seeing, all-knowing ‘organization bent on world domination. Several Web ste have punted them as patcipentin Jo Cristian cabal that seks to maintain contro over the Islamic world. Not suprisingly, some Islamist extremists see the Masons at enemies ss art ofthe generic West. This intelligence ‘assessment examines how extremists have developed this image ofthe reemacons| ‘Who Are the Freemasons 2. Freemasomrys an ntémational fateral organization that sppear to have originated in the West inthe 16" or 17 century. Th organization cites itself a a "system of morality veiled in allegory and symbology”. Sometimes labeled a secret society, the Freemasons prefer to cal thamselves a “society with secrets". Freemasons highly rival, and new members can only gai access via ‘exiting Masons. Freemasons believe ina Supreme Being, though this figureis generic enough 0 Allow interpretation from many werld religions. The generic mature oftheir religous ele is ethaps the reason why many organized religions have ercied th Freemasons over the centuries ‘and accused the organization of having s hidden agenda, 2ofsSECRET/ (CSS 14 2009-10144 2009 1201, 3. Moder pop culture has painted the Freemasoas a a all-powerful eabal of decision-makers, politician and word leaders bent on ruling the globe. Movies such as National Treasure and books ‘by authors suchas Dan Brown (TheDa Vinci Code and The Lost Code) portray an organization with ‘lobe power and acces to uinld ches. Some Founding Fathers ofthe US were Mason, and ‘recent fiction claims that Fremasoary provided much of the motivation and purpose in creating the United States. “Tales of hidden treasures and links to symbols and talismans dating back tothe Egyptian pharaos pepper this curent poplar view of Freemasons, Often thrown togater with ‘powerful Cristian and Jewish Zionist clement, Freemasonry isseenas player behindthecurain, ‘Wilding influence beyond its numbers, [Islamist Extremists and the Masons 4 Islamist extremists believe in wat hasbeen deseribed a “common nartve”: lam i under concerted stack by an entity vaguely called "the West” and all true Muslims have a religious obligation to defend their faith. Th usual enemies cited on the Intemet and in comsmuniquésare the Us, UK and Ismet, but many ote countries have been named on occasion, inciading Canada, While the general enemy consists of Cristians (Crusaders) and Jews (Zioniss), there have bes ‘eferencesto Freemasons as wel, 112006 12a group called the Islamic lagi Media Cente posted narticieonline entitled “Know Your Eneny- Freemasonry and Teoit Organizations in Buope”, in which the Masons were accused of conducting secret paramilitary operations in Europe and Inaving close tiesto Israel. In 200805, an A Qaeda affliat'posted a message urging "Egyptians to carry out jad agains, in part, the Masons, whom the writer accused of desecating ‘mosques and turning Muslims away fom iam. Io 2008 09, Al Queda in Yemen justified terrorist attacks on Wester embassies in Yenen by claiming tht they facilitated the spread of fictions that ‘un eounterto Islam, including Freemasonry. Finally, 2200906 ritesm of US President Obama's speech in Cairo accused the US lair of following in the footsteps of the Masons " theater Al Queda Orpen te Land sift et oe of ee ortoen agy wae agen Wagwag taser eyo of binds BotsSECRET SIS 1A 2009-10744 42009 1201, ‘mplications 12, Iis easyto dismiss belie in an all-powerful Freemasonry movement as akin to conspiracy theories prevalent onthe Intec, fed by popular Sms and literature, It smmportant to underscore, however, that these theories are consistent with the Islamist extremist common naraive: in this light, the Freemasons ar believed io be taking prt inattacksaguns Islam, Thisportayal an serve ‘sa usefl contribution to the radicalization process. Video series suchas “The Arivals” can be exploited by charsmtie radkalizes to coavinoe impressionable youth ofthe Urgency Of the situation and the ned to act. Freemasons are thus sean a another of "Islam's enemies” andthe setions, real or nt, used as justifications to respond with volene.