"Political Islamism is a threat to national cohesion and can undermine the fabric of society and the institutions of the Republic"... This is the explosive conclusion of the recent official report from the Ministry of the Interior on the presence of the Muslim Brotherhood organization in France, which also warns of the growing influence and infiltration of Islamic radicalism in the European Union.
The 73-page report, partially revealed by Le Figaro and the French Press Agency, was analyzed on Wednesday by the French Government's Defense Council. Its conclusions are so damning that President Emmanuel Macron has requested time to thoroughly review and analyze the proposals before making it public.
"Political Islamism is silently infiltrating sports, cultural, and social associations, with its ultimate goal being to subject the entire French society to Sharia law," warned Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, recently elected leader of The Republicans. The president of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, has stated that the French branch of the Muslim Brotherhood is "one of the greatest existential risks facing the country."
The reaction has also been significant in the political center. Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, leading the 'Macronist' party Renaissance, has even proposed banning the hijab or Islamic veil for girls under 15 years old (it has been prohibited in public schools since 2004). The only one to distance himself was the leader of the radical left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who accused the Government of "fueling Islamophobia" and falling into the rhetoric of the far right.
The report titled "The Muslim Brotherhood and Political Islam in France" warns how the organization's strategy - founded almost a century ago by Hasan al-Banna in Egypt, where it is currently banned - has been focused on Europe for the past 70 years, with an initial presence in Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom (where a report a decade ago reached similar conclusions and warned of the existence of "no-go zones" or "Islamized neighborhoods").
In the 1980s, the movement spread to France, where it now has 139 places of worship, reaching 7% of the country's Islamic population (estimated at around nine million). Two years ago, the Muslim Brotherhood made headlines when former Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema was linked to them, which he denied.
Their political ideology indeed consists of implementing Islamic law. To achieve this goal, the aim would be to create "Islamic ecosystems" that would "frame the life of a Muslim from birth to death," according to the controversial report that warns of their infiltration into French life and politics occurring "from the bottom up," starting with municipalities, schools, NGOs, and sports clubs.
The report emphasizes "the subversive nature of the project, introducing gradual changes at the local level until reaching the national scale," with measures that may come into conflict with secularism and gender equality. The risk of "municipal Islamism" noticeable in areas like the Paris region or Marseille would be a first step that needs to be addressed with short and long-term measures.
A section of the report is also dedicated to the organization's attempts to influence European institutions, receiving funding from countries like Qatar or Kuwait, and extending its reach through organizations such as the Council of European Muslims (CEM) or the Forum of Muslim Youth and Student Organizations (FEMYSO), which has publicly denied any links.
The report, based on dozens of expert interviews, warns of "a strategy of intrusion into European institutions, which are also a source of funding for the movement." The Minister Delegate for Europe, Benjamin Haddad, has raised the alarm this week to prevent the granting of scholarships and European funds to "campaigns that do not respect the secular values of the country", and that may be linked to Islamic movements.
Macron, under whose auspices the report was prepared over the past year, has decided to take his time to mitigate the impact on French society. "The president has examined the proposals from the ministries and has taken into account the importance of the issue and the seriousness of the established facts," read an official statement from the Elysee Palace, which is preparing for the second wave of the report over the weekend.