France warns that the Muslim Brotherhood threatens national cohesion

BarcelonaA 73-page report commissioned by the French government on the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood –The Muslim Brotherhood and Political Islam in France– It points to a process of "Islamist entryism" that, according to authorities, threatens national cohesion. The text warns of the Islamist movement's strategy to infiltrate various areas of French society: from places of worship to schools, as well as by deploying extensive activity on social media and occupying local economic structures.

President Emmanuel Macron convened a Defense Council at the Élysée Palace on Wednesday with key ministers—Foreign Affairs, National Education, Finance, and Sports, as well as Prime Minister François Bayrou and Interior Minister Bruno Ratailleau—to assess the situation. Given the "gravity of the facts," Macron has asked the government to draw up new proposals for a second council meeting in early June.

According to the data collected, 139 places of worship are allegedly linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, a figure that rises to 207 if centers considered close are included. These spaces represent 7% of the 2,800 Muslim places of worship in France, but 10% of those created between 2010 and 2020. Every Friday, the mosques within their sphere of influence gather an average of 91,000 worshippers. Although the Federation of Muslims of France only admits 53 affiliated associations, the report identifies around 280 operating in diverse fields: religious, educational, charitable, financial, and even sentimental, through dating websites.

Aside from places of worship, the report highlights the existence of 21 private schools linked to the movement, currently serving 4,200 students. It also notes the rise of a "2.0 preaching" that uses social media to recruit young French-speaking people, often through influencers who act as a bridge between religion and Islamist ideology.

The text describes the development of local ecosystems since the 1990s, consisting of mosques with Quran classes, community businesses, sports activities, and employment and personal development support services. All this, with the aim of creating an autonomous Muslim life in French society. The conflict in Gaza has also had an impact: after of the attacks of October 7, 2023, The report finds an increase in anti-Zionist activity in some mosques, fueled by Israeli retaliation.

Municipal elections

The Élysée Palace wants to act before the 2026 municipal elections. The priority is to "alert the general public and local officials" about the operation of this "grassroots entryism," or, in other words, the infiltration of an entity or institution to modify its nature and policies. In the short term, the Minister of the Interior has proposed measures such as better coordination of intelligence, an administrative prosecutor's office within the ministry to promote dissolutions, specific training for officials and elected officials, and a public communication strategy. He has also focused on the movement's "opaque financial circuits."

Faced with the avalanche of reactions, the government has sought to distance itself from the hardest-line sectors. Despite the forcefulness of the message, the Élysée Palace emphasizes the need to act responsibly to avoid stigmatizing the Muslim population. In this regard, it has been recalled that, since the beginning of the mandate, 741 establishments have been administratively closed after more than 9,500 inspections: from places of worship and schools to businesses, cultural associations, and bars.

But political reactions have not been long in coming. The leader of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, has called for a total ban on the Muslim Brotherhood and a review of the tax agreement with Qatar, which is said to be one of the main funders. Gabriel Attal, secretary general of Renaissance, Macron's party, went further and proposed a ban on headscarves in public spaces for children under fifteen, an idea that divided the centrist bloc and generated immediate debate.

The left-wing opposition has also raised its voice. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France Insoumise, denounced what he considered an "inquisitorial drift" and criticized the fact that "a Defense Council validates the delusional theses of Retailleau and Le Pen." The French Council of the Muslim Faith has warned of "harmful confusion" resulting from the lack of clear definitions in the report and warned of the risk of maintaining a "permanent suspicion" regarding all Muslim citizens. A spokesperson for the Islamist movement, for her part, denied any infiltration strategy and denounced "an ideological interpretation" of its activities.