Islamic Federation of the Basque Country
| Federación Islámica del País Vasco Euskal Herriko Islamiar Federakundea | |
| Formation | 4 July 2011 |
|---|---|
| Type | Religious organization |
| Legal status | Active |
| Headquarters | Moncada 5 |
| Location | |
Region served | Basque Country, Spain |
| Members | 18 Islamic associations |
President | Aziz Messaoudi Rhamssoussi |
| Affiliations | Spanish Federation of Islamic Religious Entities (FEERI) |
The Islamic Federation of the Basque Country (Spanish: Federación Islámica del País Vasco; Basque: Euskal Herriko Islamiar Federakundea), commonly known by its acronym FIVASCO, is a Muslim regional umbrella organization based in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain.[1] It serves as an official representative body for the majority of Islamic cultural centers and associations operating within the Basque Country.[2]
FIVASCO is federally integrated as a regional branch of the Spanish Federation of Islamic Religious Entities (FEERI), which in turn links it to the Islamic Commission of Spain (CIE), the ultimate interlocutor for Islam before the Spanish government.[2]
History
The federation was officially registered in the Spanish Ministry of Justice's Registry of Religious Entities on 4 July 2011 under registration number 021309.[1] Its foundation came amidst an increasing growth of the Muslim population in the Basque region, which consists of over 50,000 adherents primarily hailing from Morocco, Algeria, Pakistan, and Sub-Saharan Africa.[3]
FIVASCO updated its organizational statutes on 10 November 2016, to further consolidate its integration and streamline legal coordination for local mosques.[1] The longtime serving president and legal representative of the federation is Aziz Messaoudi Rhamssoussi, who also acts as the regional delegate for FEERI.[1][2]
Objectives and activities
According to its foundational principles, FIVASCO aims to support Islamic centers throughout the autonomous community in handling administrative tasks, improving community integration, and promoting inter cultural relations.[2] The federation is actively engaged in several core areas:
- Social integration: Working in partnership with Basque institutions to combat Islamophobia, promote peaceful coexistence, and advocate for civic participation.[4]
- Annual congresses: Organizes academic and social symposia focusing on the role of religion in contemporary secular society. The federation held its 4th Congress in Eibar in May 2025,[5] followed by its 5th Congress in Bilbao in May 2026, which featured interfaith panels involving representatives from the Catholic Church.[6]
- Religious services: Streamlining institutional dialogue to secure proper infrastructure for Muslim places of worship, halal food distribution, and designated spaces in public cemeteries according to Islamic rites.
Membership
As of the 2020s, FIVASCO coordinates and represents approximately 18 member associations and local Islamic communities spread across the three provinces of the Basque Country (Álava, Biscay, and Gipuzkoa).[7]
See also
- Islam in Spain
- Federation of Islamic Council of Catalonia
- Spanish Federation of Islamic Religious Entities
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Registro de Entidades Religiosas: FEDERACIÓN ISLÁMICA DEL PAIS VASCO/EUSKAL HERRIKO ISLAMIAR FEDERAKUNDEA (FIVASCO)". maper.mjusticia.gob.es (in Spanish). Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 OIET (6 October 2016). "Movimientos, grupos y comunidades islámicas en el País Vasco: contexto y descripción". observatorioterrorismo.com (in Spanish). Observatorio Internacional de Estudios sobre Terrorismo. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "Islam Arrives in the Basque Country". meforum.org. Middle East Forum. 15 May 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "Congreso en Bilbao sobre sociedad y religión". bizkeliza.org (in Spanish). Diócesis de Bilbao. 21 May 2026. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "Eibar: El Congreso de la Federación Islámica del País Vasco se celebrará en Eibar". El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 1 May 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "Fivasco organiza un debate sobre el pasado, presente y futuro de los musulmanes en España". infomarruecos.ma (in Spanish). 2 May 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ Spain (Vol 14, 2021) – Yearbook of Muslims in Europe. Brill. April 6, 2022. ISBN 978-90-04-43407-3. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
External links
- Official website (Official Facebook page)