France’s counterintelligence agency has published a blunt report on the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood inside the country
In truth, reports like this have been gathering dust in French state archives for years. The difference is that earlier versions were couched in soft, diplomatic language — phrases like «We’ll take note», «We acknowledge the issue», «We’re monitoring the situation», and «We remain in contact». This new edition, however, introduces a far more alarming term: «a threat to national security». And that’s not something you can simply shrug off. At first, the report was set to be classified. Then someone decided it might be better if everyone saw what’s inside.
Europe’s usual approach to this problem has been to step back rather than put out the fire. It’s better to keep a safe distance and not let the flames catch the hems of our evening gowns. After all, who are they, and where would they go without us?
«We, the Muslim Brotherhood, are like a great hall with many doors. Anyone can enter and find whatever they seek. If someone is looking for Sufism, they’ll find it. If they want to learn Islamic law, excel in sports, or join scouting, they’ll find us here. You want armed struggle? We have that, too. If you came for the love of the ‘nation’, you are welcome here».
These were the words of Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, spoken in 1928 in a Cairo suburb.
His «project» had two main goals: creating an Islamic state and implementing Sharia law wherever possible. This is what has been called the «Strategy for Western Conquest». Well, Allah will judge him, but al-Banna’s ideology aimed to «control a Muslim’s life from birth to death». But what does Europe have to do with it?
«We will pursue this evil force into its own lands, strike into its Western heart, and fight until the entire world cries out in the name of the Prophet».
Europe has only now found itself in a delicate position because the Muslim community has grown into a force that can no longer be ignored or underestimated. They’ve been here for over 70 years.
In the 1950s, Muslim immigrants began settling in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Switzerland. They later expanded into France, Belgium, and Italy — places that needed an undemanding labor force. It was among these factory workers that the idea of religious self-awareness quietly took root, even though they were never stopped from praying as they wished, when and where they wished.
A new report highlights that Muslims in France have thousands of so-called «places of worship». This term encompasses everything from Islamic cemetery plots to full mosques. Of the 2,800 sites identified by counterintelligence, 280 associations — about 10 percent — are directly tied to the Brotherhood and receive its funding. This is only what investigators were able to confirm and prove.
Naturally, they checked everything they could. They tracked how many people attend Friday prayers. However, there’s also an «inner circle» — individuals who have taken oaths and aligned themselves with radical ideology.
One can only imagine how French counterintelligence infiltrated these mosques. If Israel has Arab agents operating in Gaza, then why not Europe?
The Brotherhood’s primary zone of influence in France is education, especially in middle and high schools. The report revealed that private Muslim schools receive direct funding from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, states with overt Sunni agendas. These institutions are scattered from Strasbourg to Marseille.
Some mosques also operate Quranic schools. France has church schools, too — nothing unusual there. But what exactly are students being taught there — Quranic hadiths or the Kalashnikov manual? That’s harder to say. The report concludes that 21 institutions receive direct funding from openly Islamist organizations. So far, 4,200 students have graduated from these schools. Most likely, they now have French passports and are living comfortably — and, one assumes, waiting for a signal.
There’s one such school in an unnamed suburb of Lyon. I’ve been there; it’s bleak. French schools are usually named after notable figures like Joliot-Curie, Charles de Gaulle, General Leclerc, Maupassant, or Saint Thomas Aquinas, but this one doesn’t bother. This one doesn’t bother; it’s simply called Al-Kindi. It has 608 students, and according to the report, it functions as an official extension of the local mosque, which is already under scrutiny by the French authorities.
The Brotherhood’s second strategy is social media. The idea is «Preaching 2.0» — an online dialogue between youth and «influencers» who will «open the gates of Islam» for French-speaking Arab youth born in France. These influencers will guide these youth to become «a vital link between Islamic ideology and the European values they’ve grown up with».
«Travel, personal development, job assistance, dating apps — everything people are interested in should be within our scope of influence», the report states.
This reminds me of Hassen Chalghoumi, an Arab-French imam whom I’d even call a friend. I have interviewed him several times, visited his mosque in a Paris suburb, and listened to his sermons in French.
His message was straightforward: «We’re all French. We were born here. We live by French laws. Why force ours on them? Let our girls go hijab-free, wear makeup, and attend concerts and bars. Let our ambitious young men receive a French education and build a career here. Who does that hurt?» Chalghoumi has been under armed protection for years. He’s been shot at — and hit.
The third pillar of the Brotherhood’s plan is to gain legitimacy by operating within the French legal framework. The goal is to lull French and European regulators into a false sense of security and minimize oversight. Former President Nicolas Sarkozy fell into that trap when he approved the creation of countless religious associations, unknowingly giving legal cover to radicals, Salafists, and Brotherhood affiliates.
«Let’s create a French Islam», was the thinking. «It’ll be our version — one that aligns with our values, our lifestyle, and our mentality. They’ll adapt. We’re giving them everything». Nice idea. It works — maybe ten percent of the time.
And yet, teachers are still being beheaded. Trucks still plow into Bastille Day crowds, killing 60 people in Nice. It’s not working.
The fourth front is cooperation with municipalities. But, frankly, it’s too late. In Belgium, the UK, and parts of northern France, there are towns where there’s nothing left to «cooperate» on. In one Belgian town, they removed the Christmas tree altogether. «There’s no such holiday», declared the Muslim-majority city council. «We have Eid al-Adha».
The fifth strategy involves the Brotherhood creating so-called «baronies». No one knows exactly what these are — not even French counterintelligence. They appear to be structures designed to operate independently of national authorities. Should things escalate, they’ll be able to act on their own.
These could be charities, advocacy groups, or NGOs. They don’t have to be Salafist. They just need to promote protest-minded thinking under the guise of humanitarian work, progressive values, or new ideas about family, marriage, and Islamic entrepreneurship, which has its own perspective on interest and loans. Ultimately, it all circles back to the same message: fight «Islamophobia».
The report is full of such cases. Its core message is clear: the Muslim Brotherhood has successfully established a presence in France — a structure that has taken root and flourished over the last 70 years. All that’s left is to plant more seeds. So, what will France do?
First, the authors propose abandoning the outdated concept of Islamic «separatism», which assumes a clash between conservative Islam and European values. Instead, they propose a new idea: «enterism» — not confrontation, but infiltration. Europe must first acknowledge that someone has entered its cultural and civilizational space, feels at home there, and is ready to dictate terms.
Second, the authors say that Europeans must finally learn to understand Muslims, rather than flattering them with token gestures or endless Islamic councils chaired by intelligence officers with the rank of major.
Third, France must formally recognize Palestinian statehood. Yeah. That escalated quickly.
Fourth, Arabic should be introduced as an official part of the school curriculum. Personally, I’m all for it. Half of the delivery drivers don’t know what kind of Franco-Arabic mashup they’re speaking.
I’m joking. But the authorities? Are they serious? Arabic as a second language? Or will it be the first?
This is one of the harshest reports to land on a French president’s desk in years. Now, it’s up to Emmanuel Macron to decide. Should he confront the Muslim Brotherhood head-on? It’s an organization banned in its homeland, Egypt. Or should he…
Or do what France usually does.