The French government is facing heightened scrutiny regarding the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood in the country, following the release of a report presented to President Emmanuel Macron during a recent defense council meeting. The document, described as alarming, warns of the potential infiltration of radical Islam into various sectors of French society, prompting Macron to call for immediate measures to address the concerns outlined in the findings.
The 75-page report, which includes classified elements not made public, details the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood and highlights the presence of 207 places of worship affiliated with the movement across France. This figure represents approximately 7% of the 2,800 registered Muslim worship sites in the country. The report emphasizes that the threat lies not in the establishment of an Islamic state or the enforcement of Sharia law, but in the insidious spread of radical Islamic ideologies across everyday life, including cultural, social, educational, and charitable sectors.
One specific case mentioned in the report is the Alkindi High School in Lyon, which has come under scrutiny for alleged violations of secularism and the values of the French Republic. The school, with 608 enrolled students, is facing potential closure as it has been accused of failing to uphold these principles, particularly due to the actions of one teacher who reportedly promoted extremist views on social media. The institution has not publicly addressed these allegations.
In addition to educational institutions, the report raises alarms about the growing presence of Islamist influencers on social media, characterizing them as a threat to national cohesion. The findings have sparked a strong reaction from the Federation of Muslims in France, which claims that the accusations are unfounded and contribute to the stigmatization of Islam and the Muslim community in the country.
In response to the report’s conclusions, several recommendations have been proposed, including an increase in research related to Islam and the introduction of Arabic language programs in schools to counteract the influence of Quranic schools. However, President Macron has deemed these suggestions insufficient and is advocating for more robust measures by June.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has echoed the call for action, suggesting a reorganization of intelligence services to better combat Islamism and proposing the establishment of an administrative prosecutor’s office capable of dissolving associations linked to extremist activities.
As France grapples with the implications of these findings, the government’s next steps will be closely watched by both supporters and critics, as the debate over the balance between national security and religious freedom continues.