Security and financial scrutiny... the noose tightens on the "European Muslim Brotherhood"

 

European Muslim Brotherhood

Security and financial scrutiny... the noose tightens on the "European Muslim Brotherhood"

The Muslim Brotherhood in Europe is facing one of its biggest crises in decades, as its very existence is now being widely questioned, amid simultaneous Western moves aimed at dismantling its financial and organizational network.

At a time when political and legal pressure is mounting from prominent European capitals, most notably Paris, Berlin and Vienna, the Muslim Brotherhood finds itself besieged between security scrutiny of its activities and an escalating financial blockade.

Reports and investigations

As intelligence reports and official investigations accumulated documenting the organization’s infiltration of educational, cultural, and religious institutions, calls increased within European decision-making circles to tighten control over the organization’s facilities, and even to propose the idea of ​​completely tightening the noose in some countries.
While officials and observers believe that the organization has entered into open confrontation with European systems, it has moved from being part of the pluralistic scene through the Islamic associations and centers it established, to an entity facing legal and moral accountability for the legitimacy of its continued existence within Western societies .

What contributed to the escalation of talk about the siege of the Muslim Brotherhood in the West was what was revealed in a French government report on the “widespread infiltration” carried out by the Brotherhood within society, through a network of institutions and individuals, which indicated the adoption of urgent legislative measures aimed at reviewing funding linked to the Brotherhood, and strengthening oversight tools for religious organizations that receive governmental or European support, while the official document concluded that the group adopts “multiple mechanisms ranging from re-Islamization, separatism, and sometimes sabotage, with the aim of destabilizing the French Republic.”
As part of this approach, it was decided to freeze the assets of the European Institute of Human Sciences, which has been under suspicion regarding its connection to the Muslim Brotherhood and its receipt of funding from it.

French authorities raided his headquarters in Salé-de-Fouge last December, then froze his assets and those of two of his officials just two weeks ago and have now begun proceedings to dissolve the association overseeing him.

The notification received by the institute was not made public, but the institute published a response to the decision, deeming it to have serious and incomprehensible consequences and based on isolated cases. Other French parties, both official and unofficial, considered the institution suspicious and opaque in its funding and objectives.

"The most dangerous ideological organization"

France was not alone in this course; Austria had preceded it in classifying the group as a banned organization since 2021, but the most important development came recently in June 2025 when Austria joined France in proposing an initiative within the European Parliament calling for restrictions on institutions linked to the group, and opening a comprehensive investigation into its funding sources through European Union programs.

In Germany , which has historically been one of the most tolerant countries towards the group’s activities, the landscape has gradually changed. German intelligence agencies have issued reports classifying the Muslim Brotherhood as “the most dangerous ideological organization threatening the democratic order.” Strict surveillance measures have also been implemented on mosques and cultural associations linked to the group in states such as North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin, measures that enjoy cross-party political support.

As previously noted in the European Terrorism Index report , major changes have occurred in the German government’s policies towards radical Islamic religious movements, most notably the move towards legislation, particularly seeking to restrict the sources of funding for extremist groups . Security services have launched campaigns and raids against mosques, organizations, and centers affiliated with extremist movements.

Has the end of the group begun in Europe?

Western officials and analysts told Sky News Arabia that the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe is now besieged in several ways, as it is gradually losing its tools and ability to influence public policies. On the other hand, it no longer enjoys the same societal cover it used to rely on. While European countries are moving towards legislation banning or legal classification, the group seems unable to provide an intellectual or organizational review that would guarantee its survival.

In exclusive statements to Sky News Arabia, French Senator Nathalie Goulet confirmed that Paris is not targeting the Muslim Brotherhood in isolation, but is acting within a broader framework that includes confronting Islamic extremism and radicalism in all its forms, noting that the group is included within these measures.

Goulet added: "We are now fighting an important battle at the EU level , with the aim of stopping the funding of NGOs led by people linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. There are ongoing efforts to pressure European institutions to stop supporting these entities, which often operate under humanitarian or cultural titles."

The French senator indicated that her country is currently working on preparing new measures aimed at banning external funding and monitoring the sources of funding for extremist groups in general, and this issue is a priority in efforts to combat extremism within Europe.

Regarding the group’s legal status within Europe, Goulet explained that the classification of the Muslim Brotherhood as an extremist organization by a number of European countries has had a tangible impact on its legal and social status, particularly in France, Belgium and the United Kingdom, where steps have been taken in this direction for years.

A year ago, London placed the Muslim Brotherhood at the top of its list of extremist groups, according to the government's new definition of extremism.

Goulet explained that "despite the European measures taken, the group still exerts considerable influence within societies and has contributed to creating parallel environments that perpetuate separation from national values. Consequently, the group is not active in France as a political party or official legal entity, which makes it difficult to ban it directly, but it remains active through informal networks."

The spokesperson revealed that she held a meeting in the Senate with a number of European and foreign ambassadors, during which they discussed a unified strategy to confront the expansion of the Muslim Brotherhood in the continent, noting that there is a clear convergence between Western capitals on this issue, in preparation for adopting a more effective joint approach.

The group's activity in Britain

From London, British Labour Party member Mustafa Rajab told Sky News Arabia that the situation of the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe varies from country to country, whether it be France, England or Belgium, but he stressed that "the situation in Britain remains different," as the group still enjoys a margin of freedom of movement.

Rajab added that "funding for the Brotherhood in Britain reaches them through indirect channels, as it is not under a religious or charitable cover, but rather through commercial and investment activities and banking fronts."

He considered that the group has “adopted a more cautious tactic in recent years, as they rely on indirect action, through organizing cultural events and public seminars that appear on the surface to be social or Arab in nature, but are in essence directed by the Brotherhood.”

He continued: “Just yesterday, there was a conference organized under the banner of the Arab community , but it was supported and funded by the Muslim Brotherhood, and its main objective was to attract new members from different Arab nationalities,” warning that the group is now exploiting its financial tools to serve its political agendas within Britain.

He cited as evidence the fact that "the Brotherhood uses funding to support some members of parliament, either directly or through their election campaigns, which gives them the ability to exert political pressure at sensitive times, such as when discussing any legislation or decisions related to restricting their activities."