Ibrahim Farouk El-Zayat ( ar, إبراهيم فاروق الزيات; born 1968 in
Marburg
Marburg ( or ) is a university town in the German federal state (''Bundesland'') of Hesse, capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district (''Landkreis''). The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has a population of approximate ...
Germany) is a European Muslim activist in Germany and has been a functionary in many important Islamic organizations in Germany, Europe, and Saudi Arabia.
Biography
Ibrahim El-Zayat is the son of Farouk El-Zayat, an Egyptian engineer who left
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
in the 1960s and settled in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
where he married a German convert to
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
and who lived in
Marburg
Marburg ( or ) is a university town in the German federal state (''Bundesland'') of Hesse, capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district (''Landkreis''). The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has a population of approximate ...
, a University town north of
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
. Ibrahim grew up in Marburg where he attended the Martin-Luther-Schule (Gymnasium) in 1987. He studied industrial engineering and management, law, and economics in Marburg, Darmstadt and Cologne and wrote a thesis on the Islamic economics. El-Zayat is married to married Sabiha Erbakan, the sister of Mehmet Sabri Erbakan, for many years the General Secretary of
Millî Görüş
Millî Görüş (, "National Outlook" or "National Vision") is a religious-political movement and a series of Islamist parties inspired by Necmettin Erbakan. It argues that Turkey can develop with its own human and economic power by protecting ...
in Germany.
Islamic organizations
El-Zayat became head of the Islamic Community of Germany (Islamische Gemeinschaft in Deutschland; IGD) in January 2002, following the resignation of
Ali Ghaleb Himmat
Ali Ghaleb Himmat ( ar, علي غالب همت; born 16 June 1938 in Damascus, Syria) is an Italian businessman who lives in Campione d'Italia, Italy, near Youssef Nada. In 1990 he received Italian citizenship.http://www.globalmbwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/The-Federation-of-Islamic-Organizations-in-Europe.pdf He was also at one time the head of the Muslim Students Union and from 1996 to 2002 he was the head of the Federation of Muslim Youth and Student Organizations (FEMYSO). El-Zayat has also been the European representative of the
World Assembly of Muslim Youth
The World Assembly of Muslim Youth is an international Islamic educational organization whose stated purpose is “preserve the identity of Muslim youth and help overcome the problems they face in modern society”. Reportedly the world's largest ...
(WAMY), a worldwide network of largely Saudi-funded youth groups"with headquarters in Saudi Arabia.
El-Zayat was a founder and director of the
Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe
The Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE) was founded by the Muslim Brotherhood in 1989. FIOE subsequently created the European Council for Fatwa and Research, a pan European Muslim Brotherhood organisation which provides guidance ...
(FIOE), heading its public relations department. He has also been a trustee of the Institut Européen des Sciences Humaines (IESH) at Chateau-Chinon / France. and a trustee of the Europe Trust.
In 1995, El-Zayat co-founded the "Gesellschaft Muslimischer Sozial- und Geisteswissenschaftler/Innen e.V.“ (GMSG).
He is also on the board of trustees of the Muslim charity "Islamic Relief Germany" as being a trustee of "Islamic Relief Worldwide in Birmingham (UK).