Muslim Brotherhood faces scrutiny in France as US considers terror designation

French President Emmanuel Macron has asked his ministers to come up with responsive measures after a “government-commissioned” report determined that the Muslim Brotherhood poses a danger to “the fabric of society and republican institutions” in France.

Though the French government stated it would not publish its full report, Reuters said it “accuses the Muslim Brotherhood of waging a covert campaign via local proxies to subvert France’s secular values and institutions.” That campaign is said to focus on local government, schools and mosques as a means to influence change on local and national levels, particularly regarding issues of gender equality and secularism.

The report’s claim that “the reality of this threat, even if it is long-term and does not involve violent action, highlights the risk of damage to the fabric of society and republican institutions.”

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Christopher Holton, senior analyst and director for state outreach at the Center for Security Policy, told Fox News Digital that the French internal security service report “came as a surprise,” given that European intelligence agencies “have been in denial about the Islamization of Europe” for “a quarter-century or so.” 

“The Muslim Brotherhood is one of the most influential organizations in the entire Islamic world,” Holton said. “This report acknowledges that, and that’s something that no official government report in the West that I’m aware of has really acknowledged.

“They don’t conceal their philosophy. They don’t conceal their plans. They’re pretty transparent,” Holton said of the Muslim Brotherhood, pointing to the final portion of the group’s motto, which he said is “Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.” 

There is less transparency, however, about various groups’ affiliations with the Muslim Brotherhood. However, the French intelligence report claims that the Muslims of France are the “national branch” of the Muslim Brotherhood. Politico reported the group called the accusations “unfounded.”

Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital that “the Muslim Brotherhood’s model is pretty similar across Europe.” Because of its “mixture of open association and clandestine connections,” Mendoza says, “it is difficult to know the exact degree of Muslim Brotherhood penetration.” 

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Mendoza says the Muslim Brotherhood today “is therefore a particular menace for European Muslim communities as it seeks to radicalize religious thought, and for European countries because it is interested in a separate identity for European Muslims within states.” Mendoza said this is “part of the reason we are seeing increased sectarianization within European societies.”

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The Muslim Brotherhood’s presence in the U.S. is coming under increased scrutiny once again.

Earlier this week Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas., announced on X, “In the coming days, I will be circulating and re-introducing a modernized version of the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, which I have been pushing for my entire Senate career.” Cruz said that “the Muslim Brotherhood used the Biden administration to consolidate and deepen their influence, but the Trump administration and Republican Congress can no longer afford to avoid the threat they pose to Americans and American national security.”

In April, Jordan outlawed the group and in so doing joined several other countries where it was banned or restricted. Those countries, according to an Al Arabiya report, include Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Reuters contributed to this report.