The Muslim Brotherhood in Europe: Ireland on the frontline
As European capitals tighten the noose around the Muslim Brotherhood, moving toward confrontation in preparation for classifying it as a terrorist organization, Ireland is emerging as a new front against the movement.
Following the French Parliament’s decision to push for the organization’s inclusion on the European terrorism list, Ireland is no longer outside the debate. Calls have been launched from its territory to take action against an organization linked to the Brotherhood and based in Dublin, reopening the file of the movement’s “soft” influence within Europe.
What happened?
The president of the group “Muslims Against Antisemitism” called on the Irish government to take action against an organization linked to the Muslim Brotherhood that has its headquarters in the country. He questioned how the spiritual leader of the Brotherhood can be banned from entering Ireland, while an institution promoting his teachings is simultaneously allowed to operate on its soil.
The Muslim Brotherhood in Ireland: warnings over suspicious funding and calls for a comprehensive investigation
On Thursday, French lawmakers adopted a draft resolution calling for the Muslim Brotherhood to be added to the European Union’s list of terrorist organizations, a move described as a “victory” by the Republican right-wing current.
Ghanem Nuseibeh, president of “Muslims Against Antisemitism” (MAAS), based in the United Kingdom, sent a letter to Jim O’Callaghan, Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Immigration, concerning an organization known as the “European Council for Fatwa and Research,” headquartered in Dublin, according to the Jewish News newspaper.
The council was founded by Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the former spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood. Al-Qaradawi himself was banned from entering Ireland in 2011, as well as the United Kingdom, the United States, and several other countries.
Nuseibeh wrote: “As Muslims, we believe in the necessity of confronting antisemitism at all levels, including limiting incitement.”
He added: “A significant portion of the antisemitism that has unfortunately spread in some Muslim communities in Britain and Europe, including Ireland, stems from extremist teachings and severely distorted interpretations of Islam.”
Speaking about the Council, Nuseibeh explained that “its website clearly shows it was founded by al-Qaradawi, and its social media accounts — including X and Instagram — promote his past sermons, lectures and books… This organization, based in Dublin, openly promotes the teachings of a man banned from entering Ireland because of his extremist ideas… Such teachings represent the greatest challenge we, moderate Muslims, face in our struggle against extremism and antisemitism.”
Official response
A spokesperson for Ireland’s Department of Justice said that the government is determined to eradicate hate-based crimes and protect all minorities, including the Jewish community, from discrimination, through legislation, policy implementation and the provision of support mechanisms.
He added that the Criminal Justice (Hate Crimes) Act of 2024 came into force at the beginning of 2025, providing for tougher prison sentences for certain offences if they are proven to have been committed out of hatred or to display hostility based on the victims’ identity. Every hate crime reported to the Irish police is investigated in a professional and thorough manner, with victims supported throughout the criminal justice process.
He continued: “The government’s adoption of global guidelines to combat antisemitism, as well as the working definition of antisemitism issued by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), supports our broader commitment to confronting all forms of discrimination through the implementation of the National Action Plan Against Racism 2023–2027.”
