There are many illnesses that may remain in a latent phase for a long time, showing no significant symptoms, but becoming much more dangerous if left untreated. Once they break out, treatment becomes difficult—sometimes even impossible.
This applies to various cancers, for example. A similar analogy holds for certain social problems, such as the creeping spread of ideologies that pose a threat to the very foundations of European democracies.
The Gradual Spread of Islamism
This is precisely the type of problem France—and indeed, the entire European continent—must now address. A recently declassified official 73-page report, commissioned by French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, warns about the gradual spread of radical Islamism (not only) in French society. According to the French newspaper Le Figaro, the findings are alarming: “The country is being undermined from within by the Muslim Brotherhood, which has established a vast network of operations,” the report states.
According to the report, France has 139 prayer rooms associated with the Muslim Brotherhood. Another 68 locations are ideologically connected to the Brotherhood, although they deny it. These constitute around seven percent of the approximately 2,800 Muslim places of worship in the country. The report states that around 91,000 worshippers attend these mosques for Friday prayers.
Propaganda in Schools and Online
This may seem like a relatively small number, considering the size of the Muslim community in France. However, it would be a mistake to assume that the Brotherhood only uses mosques to spread its ideology. Unsurprisingly, it also uses digital propaganda and educational activities, especially targeting young people.
On social media, influence is spread by “influencers” who are “often the first point of contact with Islam and act as a bridge between Islamist ideologies and young French-speaking Europeans.” The report points out “activism by a new generation of preachers, often trained by leading religious leaders of the movement and exposed to hybridization with Salafism,” which “is a major factor in the spread of Islamism via social networks, reaching wide audiences.”
The Brotherhood clearly places particular importance on education. The report even states that this occurs “to a degree not seen in other European countries.” A total of 21 schools directly or indirectly linked to the Brotherhood were identified, with a total of 4,200 students.
One such school is the Lycée Averroès in Lille, considered the flagship of Islamic education in France.
Ties to Qatar
This school was funded by Qatar and other Arab countries. The issue is that its teaching materials “contain elements contrary to republican values.” Additionally, early last year, there were 815 Quranic schools in France (excluding overseas territories and Paris), attended by 66,000 minors. One-third of these schools are reportedly linked to radical Islamism, including 114 affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Even seemingly innocent-looking charitable organizations are part of this network. The Brotherhood’s reach is strengthened by approximately “thirty Islamist charitable organizations identified across the country, including sixteen led by Salafists and four that are or were part of the Muslim Brotherhood.”
One such Brotherhood-linked charity, Humani’terre, founded in 2018 to collect donations for the Palestinian population, is reportedly under investigation for suspected financing of Hamas.
These charity and educational networks also blend into local communities. “Where there is a mosque, shops, sports clubs, and personal development courses often appear, creating a cohesive ecosystem.”
It is estimated that nearly 300 different associations (religious, charitable, educational, professional, youth, and even financial) are directly linked to the Muslim Brotherhood network. Thus, the number of people radical Islamists can reach is considerably higher.
The Brotherhood also relies on foreign funding. Since the late 2000s, it has used foundations and real estate firms to access hundreds of thousands of euros, which have been used to build mosques and educational centers in cities like Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Marseille, and Lille. A significant portion of this funding reportedly comes from Qatar.
Objective: Dismantling Democracy
The Brotherhood may present itself as moderate, but appearances are misleading. A report by the French Interior Ministry highlights the organization’s dual structure and true ambitions: an official structure that complies with French law, allowing it to operate legally and covertly.
Publicly, it assumes the role of victim, denouncing Islamophobia and promoting halal certification. At the same time, it builds parallel structures in secret. A second, unofficial structure exists.
This consists of a council of imams who secretly plan long-term strategies to spread influence and gain new supporters. The Brotherhood’s establishment strategy is thus built on deception and the manipulation of Islamophobia narratives.
To understand the concern, it is important to know the roots of the Brotherhood’s ideology. For Egyptian theologian and thinker Hassan al-Banna, who founded the organization in the 1920s, a revived Islam was to be the answer to Western incursion into Muslim lands.
He declared,
“The Muslim Brotherhood is like a great hall into which any Muslim can enter through any door and share what he wishes. If he seeks Sufism, it is there. If he seeks understanding of Islamic law, it is there. If he seeks sports and scouting, it is there. If he seeks combat and armed struggle, it is there.”
His plan had two goals: the creation of an Islamic state and the implementation of Sharia law. His strategy for conquering the West was as follows: “We will pursue this evil force into its own lands, penetrate its Western heart, and fight until we defeat it, until the entire world calls out in the name of the Prophet.”
Yes, you read that correctly. The ultimate goal of the Muslim Brotherhood is the domination of the West, the destruction of democratic systems, and the establishment of Islamist rule. The movement has not deviated from its founding goals, and this must be recognized.
Poorly Concealed Antisemitism
In light of current events, it is also worth mentioning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which plays a major role in the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood. It serves as fertile ground not only for anti-Zionism but also for increasingly evident antisemitism, supported by conspiracy theories, “reductio ad Israel” rhetoric (conflating Israelis with all Jews), Islamic anti-Judaism, and notions of inherent hostility between Jews and Muslims.
The study also states that “antisemitism remains present in the discourse of movement members,” and since the October 7 attacks, there has been an increase in anti-Zionist activity in mosques. Well-informed sources claim that “anti-Zionist preachers and speakers were invited to the mosque in Massy to discuss the situation in Palestine.”
A former Palestinian minister reportedly declared “I am Hamas” to applause. This is hardly surprising, given that the terrorist organization Hamas originally emerged from the Muslim Brotherhood.
Not Just a French Problem
The document also highlights a network of organizations active in Brussels, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Vienna. A central role is played by the Council of European Muslims (CEM) and its subordinate groups, including Europe Trust as a financial base, as well as humanitarian organizations and imam training structures.
According to the report, these networks even take advantage of programs like Erasmus+ and other EU funds to secure financing, which is allegedly used in ways that conflict with their stated purposes and with European values.
The Muslim Brotherhood also maintains strong national structures across Europe. Belgium is considered the Brotherhood’s European center. It is followed by Austria and Germany, where the Millî Görüş movement—an Islamist branch inspired by the Brotherhood and linked directly to Turkey—is active. The Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden are identified as countries with a smaller but significant presence of this network.
Warnings That Went Unheeded
The report concludes that the French state’s actions against the Muslim Brotherhood continue to be hampered by a lack of understanding of the threat’s seriousness. It also emphasizes that the Brotherhood relies on time and is quietly becoming embedded in both French and European society.
This is not surprising. I have been warning about this since at least the autumn of 2022, when I organized the largest-ever conference on the Muslim Brotherhood in the European Parliament. Even then, we warned about its influence and activities in Europe, stating that the EU is funding its own threat.
Back then, I said that the Brotherhood was active in about 14 EU member states and that, while it may appear to be a harmless prayer group or educational initiative, it is systematically building a network designed to one day enforce Sharia law in EU territory or suppress the rights of minorities and women.
At the time, French representatives claimed the problem was exaggerated. But now even they admit that we were right. Unfortunately, in the meantime, we have lost valuable time and space—time the Brotherhood has used to further expand its influence.
Europe must act. And it must act quickly.
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