Leaked French report on Muslim Brotherhood sparks alarm
A leaked French government report warning of the Muslim Brotherhood’s alleged influence in France has sparked alarm among Muslim communities, with a leading Islamic body saying Muslims now feel unfairly targeted and under suspicion.
The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) issued a statement Wednesday, saying “many Muslim citizens today feel that they are no longer safe from constant suspicion.” The statement followed the leak of a report titled “Political Islamism and the Muslim Brotherhood,” excerpts of which were published in Le Figaro and Le Monde.
Commissioned in spring 2024 and presented this week to President Emmanuel Macron and the National Defence and Security Council, the 75-page document warns of what it calls a long-term effort by the Muslim Brotherhood to influence French institutions, particularly through schools, NGOs, and mosques.
The report alleges this campaign undermines secular values and social cohesion, though it stops short of linking the movement to violent activity.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau called the Muslim Brotherhood “a clear threat,” claiming its ultimate aim is to gradually impose Islamic law in French society. The report specifically names the Musulmans de France association as a national branch of the Brotherhood — a charge the group denies.
Muslim leaders and some scholars, however, say the report promotes fear and misinformation. Azzedine Gaci, head of a mosque near Lyon cited in the report, called the accusations “a slap in the face,” highlighting years of cooperation with French authorities.
Haoues Seniguer, an expert in political Islam, criticized the report’s assumptions, saying it conflates conservative religious views with extremist goals. “There is a tendency to act as if today’s Muslim groups hold the same views as the Brotherhood’s founders in 1928. That makes no sense,” he said.
The CFCM expressed concern over the report’s vague use of terms like “political Islam” and “Islamist entryism,” warning that such language “casts unjust suspicion on all Muslim structures in the country.” It also raised fears that the report could fuel conspiracy theories and lead to real-world consequences — including hate crimes, discrimination, and attacks on mosques.
“Being Muslim, or simply perceived as Muslim, is enough to arouse suspicion today,” the CFCM said. “This perception is deeply dangerous and must be addressed with greater clarity, nuance, and responsibility.”
President Macron, who has been tightening policy on what he calls “Islamist separatism,” has insisted that Islam has a rightful place in French society. But Muslim groups argue that the government’s rhetoric and actions increasingly infringe on religious freedoms and stigmatize Muslim communities.
The government has delayed the full publication of the report until the end of the week.
Macron has asked ministers to propose measures based on the findings, to be reviewed at another meeting in early June.
