Political and social challenges: France's strategy to combat the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau - REUTERS/ SARAH MEYSSONNIER
The French government is stepping up its fight against the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood, a challenge that is testing the country's social cohesion and republican values

France is considered the nerve centre of the development of Islam in Europe. According to the report ‘The Islamisation Strategy in France: Infiltration and Reconfiguration from Within’, issued by the French Ministry of the Interior, the French authorities have described the recent exponential growth and how it has been carried out in recent years as ‘alarming’. 

  1. Education and indoctrination
  2. Networks of influence and external funding
  3. The use of Islamophobia as a rhetorical weapon
  4. Dialogue as the only solution

In a report of more than 80 pages, the Ministry has described this process as ‘a systematic and well-organised strategy operating from within, using the same democratic and social tools that its opponents claim to defend’. 

Amid growing concern in France about the infiltration of the Muslim Brotherhood, Paris has shifted from ‘an attitude of vigilance’ to ‘one of confrontation in the political and institutional arena’. 

Education and indoctrination

The French authorities, who have long been criticised for failing to act against the Muslim Brotherhood despite previous reports, seem more determined to take action this time around. 

In an unprecedented move, French President Emmanuel Macron convened a meeting with the Defence Council to analyse the situation and reformulate society's values through a strong religious discourse and the vigorous expansion of Islamic culture in educational institutions. 

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to members of the media on the day of a European Union summit in Brussels, Belgium March 20, 2025 - REUTERS/ STEPHANIE LECOCQ

According to the report, the Muslim Brotherhood is forging an Islamist ‘counter-society,’ that is, a subculture that promotes conservative Islamic values. ‘This process targets the younger generations, who are sought to be indoctrinated from an early age, with a particular focus on private schools,’ the report reads. 

Some of these centres include the IESH (Institut Européen des Sciences Humaines) in Château-Chinon, which is considered the key hub of the transformation. Founded by the UOIF (Union of Islamic Organisations of France) and funded by Qatar and Kuwait, the IESH not only provides academic training but also an ideological curriculum that legitimises anti-Semitism, jihad and gender inequality. 

Networks of influence and external funding

However, the transformation is not limited to education, but also extends to how networks of influence and funding are strengthening this metamorphosis. Organisations such as ‘Musulmans de France’ or FEMYSO (Federation of Young Muslims of Europe) have a notable presence in public spaces, participating in municipal forums, school councils and other activities funded by public money. 

At the moment, the biggest challenge facing the French state is how to effectively confront the Muslim Brotherhood without stigmatising all Muslims. To this end, Parliament is evaluating proposals to improve the supervision of the financing of religious organisations and increase clarity on the origin of foreign funds, especially from nations that could support Islamist political initiatives. 

Empty chamber of the French National Assembly before the first round of the French parliamentary elections in Paris, France, June 27, 2024 - REUTERS/BENOIT TESSIER

The use of Islamophobia as a rhetorical weapon

The Islamisation of France is presented not only as a religious challenge, but also as a cultural and political one. However, decisions such as Macron's revival of the ban on the wearing of the hijab for girls under the age of 15, even suggesting that parents who force their daughters to wear it should be penalised, have not been well received within the Islamic community. 

This decision did not sit well with Chemseddine Hafiz, the dean of the Grand Mosque of Paris, who warned that the fight against political Islam could serve as a pretext for illegally discriminating against Muslim citizens, which could have counterproductive effects and foster a narrative of victimisation and separation. 

Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen, who leads the extremist National Rally party, accused the government of not acting firmly, while party leader Jordan Bardella said that if they come to power, they would ‘ban the organisation immediately’, a measure that could gain more popular support by increasing concerns about gradual cultural Islamisation. ‘Far from being simply a personal choice, the veil has become a tool of ideological affirmation that challenges the codes of European society,’ Le Pen said. 

The leader of France's far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National - RN) party, Marine Le Pen - REUTERS/ SARAH MEYSSONNIER

Dialogue as the only solution

The Muslim Brotherhood in France has been linked to the growth of various Islamic organisations formed after World War II as part of an attempt to integrate the Muslim community into the principles of French secularism. These organisations served as a link between Muslims in France and society at large. 

However, in recent years, signs have begun to emerge that some of these organisations, such as the Organisation of French Muslims, are adopting an Islamic discourse that goes beyond individual religion and loses its secular focus, clashing with republican principles. 

Although the French authorities have shown some determination in confronting these groups, the main dilemma remains: how to strike a balance between combating political Islamist groups and protecting the rights of French Muslims.