The fundamentalist organization of the Muslim brothers has been prohibited in many countries. In France, however, it seems to proliferate with the help of the left. And from here it spreads throughout the old continent. An open openness that in a few contrast.
The report on Europe has resonated as an alarm bell throughout Europe Islamist infiltrations of the Muslim brothers in Francerecently delivered to President Emmanuel Macron. A document of about seventy pages, in which a serious warning is launched on what is called a “threat to national cohesion”, embodied by a “subversive project” against the République.
At the center of the investigation, conducted by a diplomat and a prefect who remained anonymous in the text, there are the activities of the Islamist organization born in 1928 in Egypt, Characterized by a fundamentalist approach to Islam that has caused him to ban in several countries, in addition to the Christmas one, including Russia, Austria, Jordan or Saudi Arabia. But not on the other side of the Alps, where the movement gains ground, brazing themselves at the local level as demonstrated by the figures mentioned in the report: 139 affiliated places of worship, to which 68 others considered close to the brotherhood are added, scattered in 55 departments for a total of 7 percent of the 2,800 seats reviewed. Apparently not too relevant numbers, which however worry in the light of the activities of the Muslim Federation of France, considered as the “main emanation” of the organization in the country, which over time has built “an important local settlement network”.
A job carried out in silence, always keeping A low profile, without violent actions or controversy. Thanks also to the support of countries such as Turkey and Qatar, the goal is to “institutionalize” the group, placing itself as a “interlocutor of public powers” on behalf of the “set of the French Muslim population”. In short, “a search for legitimacy and respectability” that passes through a series of activities concerning above all education, considered a “priority” given the 21 private institutes related to movement, but also the association world and, more generally the “ecosystems on the local level”. Realities built starting from the mosques, around which the life of the local Muslim community revolves. Although the report excludes the intention of establishing Sharia (Islamic law, in Italian) in France, the desire to “gradually obtain changes in local or national rules”, such as those concerning secularism or equality of rights between men and women, emerges from the investigation.
“That of Sharia is a long -term goal for the Muslim brothers, who first want to apply Islamic law in the community of faithful in France”explains Bernard Rougier, professor of sociology of the Arab world at Sorbona and coordinator of a study on the Islamist presence in the Banilieue published in 2020 with the title The territories conquered of Islamism. According to the expert, the report “gives a fairly exhaustive image” of the situation and “examines many aspects concerning Islamist penetration in France, but does not reveal all the truth, because there are many aspects of this phenomenon that remain unknown”. For example, Rougier places the emphasis on the role of social networks, where members and preachers of the organization are active.
Also because Islamist “entrism” would concern all the old continent. Italy included according to the study, which cites the Italian Institute of Islamic Studies and Humanists Bayan, in the province of Verona, who would have benefited from funding from Kuwait in the perspective of “becoming the main IMAM training center in Europe”. Signals at least apparently disturbing, but not for everyone. The leader of the radical left Jean-Luc Mélenchon denounced a will of “stigmatization” of the French of Islamic confession, while many imams and representatives of the community have expressed fears for the risks of exploitation. The Federation of Muslims of France reacted by talking about “unfounded accusations”.
A good part of the academic world has also lined up against the contents of the report, With several experts who criticized the alarmist tones, especially in the light of the decline of the Muslim Brothers. “Their strategy consists in being defended by others, in this case from the far left and its intellectuals, without sending leaders to speak in the media”, explains Rougier, underlining that this shows “close relationships with different sectors such as university or political”. The debate immediately made itself fiery, with the Elisha intent on turning off the boils, guaranteeing maximum attention in preserving the Islamic population from attacks or prejudices. The presidential elections of 2027, however, are close. The Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, recently elected leader of the Republicans and in the smell of candidacy, knows this well. His zeal shown in recent times, especially on this dossier, has not liked Macron, who according to the indiscretions of the Afp recalled him to order during the interministerial defense council called to discuss the relationship, initially conceived as a reserved document. Macron complained with the whole executive of the advanced proposals, considering them unsuitable seen “the gravity of the facts”, but also of the advances of the investigation leaked in the media. Officially the president wants to avoid the risk of manipulations against the Muslims of France. But the impression is that of a head of state irritated in seeing itself overcome by one of its ministers on a problem such as that of radical Islam, which remained unsolved despite the law against the separatism adopted in 2021.
Maybe that’s why 71 percent of the French He declares that he does not trust his president on this issue, as emerges from a CSA survey for Cnews. But Macron must also deal with the internal ambitions to his field. Like those of the former premier Gabriel Attal, the enfant prodige of macronism that defends a bill aimed at banning the veil to girls under 15 years old. Better to avoid creating “confusion”, according to the Elysée tenant, who invited not to “confuse everything in the debates”. Meanwhile, Retailleau goes on its way and launches an “arsenal” aimed at contrasting political Islam, conceived on the model of the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking: greater coordination between territorial and central intelligence, more control over funding from abroad and a streamlining of the procedures useful to dissolve suspicious associations. An internal war, on which politics is putting the hat with the risk of unnecessary media abuse.
