France is investigating the growing influence of a group known as the Muslim Brotherhood, as a new government report labels it a “threat to the nation.” In response, French President Emmanuel Macron is considering new policies to counter the group’s actions, including even a ban on Muslim headscarves for girls.
Macron ordered a government meeting to address the report, which stemmed from an investigation initiated by Macron in 2024.
The official report was set to be released by the end of the week of May 19 but was leaked early. It reportedly said the group is working to weaken French society by spreading political Islamism through local groups, schools, charities and sports programs.
What is the Muslim Brotherhood?
The Muslim Brotherhood is a transnational Islamist movement founded in Egypt in 1928 with the aim of creating a society governed by Islamic law. While it presents itself as a religious and social organization, its political activities and influence have sparked controversy across the Middle East and Europe.
The group has inspired a network of affiliated organizations that promote Islamic values in public life. Though not officially banned in France, authorities have grown increasingly concerned about its alleged attempts to influence institutions and challenge the country’s secular model.
While not banned in France, other countries, like Egypt, have banned the group. The governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have accused it of promoting extremism and threatening political stability.
France’s report accuses the Brotherhood of operating under the guise of fighting Islamophobia, while actually promoting “an influence campaign” that challenges France’s strict separation of religion and state. According to a version of the report obtained by Politico, the Brotherhood and its ideological allies allegedly tried to sway Brussels leadership to adopt policies more in line with Islamic law, including calls to criminalize blasphemy.
The report also claims the group’s network received funding from Qatar and Kuwait and used European organizations like the Council of European Muslims and the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organizations to push its agenda.
Macron pushes for policy proposals to address concerns
Macron asked his ministers to come up with ideas for how to respond to the report by June. The president’s office said the situation is “serious” and needs a fast response.
In response to the leak, former French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, head of Macron’s Renaissance Party, proposed banning Muslim headscarves in public for girls under 15. The party also wants to introduce a “criminal offence for coercion against parents who force their underage daughters to wear the veil,” according to the proposed ban’s language.
Political reactions to Muslim Brotherhood report
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the far-left La France Insoumise party, accused the government of fueling Islamophobia and “giving credence” to far-right narratives.
“That’s enough! You’re going to destroy the country,” he wrote on X.
The French Muslim Council also warned against generalizing the Muslim population.
“The state must above all not feed a generalized suspicion toward Muslims in France,” the group said in a statement.
On the other side, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, a high-profile politician in the country’s main conservative party, Les Républicains, said the report demonstrates how “Islamist infiltration is a threat.” The president of the country’s far-right party, the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, told a French news outlet the Muslim Brotherhood poses “one of the most existential challenges facing our country.”
