New measure: Germany takes a new step in its fight against the Muslim Brotherhood

 

Muslim Brotherhood 

New measure: Germany takes a new step in its fight against the Muslim Brotherhood 

Germany has taken a new step in the fight against political Islam by establishing an advisory council concerned with the issue and the movements associated with it, especially the Muslim Brotherhood.

Days earlier, the German Federal Ministry of the Interior announced the establishment of a permanent advisory council concerned with combating political Islam and religious extremism, in a move aimed later at developing effective preventive policies to confront this type of extremism, while preventing any stigmatization or discrimination targeting Muslim communities in the country, according to the ministry.

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The advisory council, chaired by Parliamentary Undersecretary of the Interior Christophe de Vries, includes 15 experts, among the leading specialists in the fields of Islamic studies, social sciences, preventive work and security services, representatives of civil society organizations, experts in combating extremism, as well as figures specializing in issues of community participation and integration.

Among these experts, Mohannad Khorchide stands out as a member of the advisory board of the German Interior Ministry and dean of the Higher Institute for Islamic Studies at the University of Münster in Germany. 

In an exclusive interview with Al-Ain News, Khurshid said that the first founding meeting of the new advisory council will be held in the coming days, with the attendance of representatives from the German Interior Ministry, noting that the council reports directly to the German government.

Khorshid emphasized that "the council's action plan aims to prepare joint national action plans between the federal government and the states to strengthen the fight against extremism with a comprehensive approach." 

According to Khurshid, the plan includes combating extremism in the digital space, enhancing awareness programs in public institutions, in addition to supporting scientific research on political Islam, and confronting anti-Semitism with ideological roots.

He added that "the new advisory council also aims to pave the way for the establishment of a center for documenting and monitoring 'political Islam', similar to a model in Austria." 

Important step

The need for the advisory council, Khurshid says, is evident at a time when Germany is facing a growing wave of extremism through online incitement campaigns or attempts to recruit young people.

He pointed out that the formation of this council also comes in light of a growing conviction that confronting political Islam cannot be limited to security measures alone, but requires an intellectual vision and academic voices capable of providing a deep understanding of religion, far removed from political exploitation. 

The new council is a prelude to launching an action plan aimed at combating Islamism, and is part of the agreement to form the current ruling coalition in Germany. 

The new council is also a restructuring of the previous task force concerned with preventing Islamism, which began its work in October 2024 under the previous government.

The new advisory council is set to cover a much wider range of topics than the previous task force, and its first and primary task will be to develop an action plan to combat Islamism.

The purpose of forming this council is to develop social prevention strategies using scientific and practical expertise and the experience of security agencies. 

In her analysis of the new council's work, German expert Sigrid Herrmann said that the creation of this permanent advisory council is likely linked to drawing more attention to the infiltration attempts by Islamist organizations into society.

She continued, "Initially, I believe the council's task will be to identify inappropriate procedures and methods and to convince politicians that there are better strategies, that is, strategies that can achieve better results in combating political Islam."

She added, "As for non-governmental organizations (active under the banner of political Islam), the possibility of classifying them, and then the possibility of depriving them of public funding, will be considered." 

In Germany, security and political circles use the term Islamism or political Islam to refer to associations linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hizb ut-Tahrir, and other extremist organizations.

Islamist organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood run a network of associations and centers in Germany, including mosques, cultural centers, charities, and NGOs that promote slogans such as combating racism or Islamophobia. 

In this context, the Alliance Against Islamophobia and Muslims (CLIM) stands out. It is a non-governmental organization that revolves around the Muslim Brotherhood, and is the focus of a recent inquiry in the German parliament regarding its receipt of government funds within democracy support programs.