In the heart of Europe, a subtle yet insidious force is at work, eroding the foundations of our democratic society. The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna, has grown into a global network that poses a profound challenge to our precious Western values.
While often presenting itself as a moderate Islamic organization, the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology seeks to establish a caliphate governed by Sharia law, viewing secular democracy as incompatible with its theocratic totalitarianism. This threat is not (yet) primarily violent in Europe but operates through “entryism” – infiltrating institutions, forging alliances, and exploiting freedoms to advance a horrific illiberal agenda.
Warning Signs Hiding in Plain Sight
European security services have long warned about the Muslim Brotherhood’s activities. In a comprehensive analysis, experts note that while the Brotherhood avoids direct terrorism in the West, its networks promote views that are “problematic, subversive, undemocratic, and incompatible with basic human rights.”
The group’s motto – “Allah is our objective; the Prophet is our leader; the Qur’an is our law; jihad is our way; martyrdom is our highest hope” – underscores its ultimate goal of Islamizing all societies.
How the Muslim Brotherhood’s “Entryism” is Deployed in Europe
In Europe, the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliates employ sophisticated strategies to do this. Through organizations like the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (now the Council of European Muslims) and youth groups such as FEMYSO, they position themselves as representatives of Muslim communities. They secure EU funding – apparently over €23 million to linked entities – for “anti-Islamophobia” initiatives that sneakily shield their activities from scrutiny, operating under the radar and thus difficult to identify.
By framing any criticism as racism, they exploit “woke” narratives, forming “Red-Green alliances” with left-wing groups to amplify their influence. This infiltration undermines pluralism and integration. Muslim Brotherhood-linked schools and mosques are fostering parallel societies, promoting gender hierarchies and intolerance. Their ideology has inspired terrorist offshoots like Hamas, which the Muslim Brotherhood supports, linking it to broader extremism. A US congressional hearing highlighted the Muslim Brotherhood as a “gateway to terrorism,” providing ideological justification for violence.
Act Now Before It’s Too Late
In Europe, this manifests in radicalization, antisemitism, and threats to security, for example, through increased monitoring by services in Austria, Germany, and France. The human cost is devastating. Consider the case of a young Yezidi woman, one of over 7,000 kidnapped by ISIS at age 11 in 2014 during the Sinjar genocide. Sold into slavery and trafficked to Gaza, she endured a decade of captivity under a Hamas-linked captor until his death in an Israeli strike enabled her rescue in a joint operation by Israel, the US, Jordan, and Iraq. She now lives in the EU.
ISIS, sharing ideological roots with the Muslim Brotherhood through Salafist influences, exemplifies how such extremism devastates minorities. The young woman’s story, one of thousands, highlights the global reach of these networks, with echoes in Europe where Muslim Brotherhood affiliates deny, downplay, or justify such atrocities.
As Europe faces rising antisemitism and division – from antisemitic campus protests to policy influence – action is urgent. Several countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, have designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group. The EU must follow, by immediately enforcing funding transparency and proscribing the Muslim Brotherhood as a matter of urgency.
As part of broader efforts to increase public awareness of this issue, a unique event will take place in the European Parliament this upcoming March that will examine the growing threat posed by the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe. It will include a commemoration for victims of Muslim Brotherhood-linked abuses, including Iranians, Yezidis, Maronites, Jews, Kurds, Druze, and others, as well as special artwork by Israeli artist Yaron Bob (“Rockets into Roses”) and a testimony from the Yezidi woman who survived years of captivity.
By confronting the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe and around the world, we honor victims like the Yezidi woman and also have a chance of preserving our shared freedoms.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s threat is not abstract; it’s a clear danger to Europe’s soul.
The writer is the General Secretary of IMPAC, a Brussels-based NGO campaigning against extremism in European political institutions.
This op-ed is published in partnership with a coalition of organizations that fight antisemitism across the world. Read the previous article by Arnold Steinberg.