Germany and the Muslim Brotherhood Threat: Warnings Over Al-Qaradawi’s Approach and Suspicious Activity by the Tunisian Branch
Trained operatives are infiltrating society and institutions to implement the Muslim Brotherhood’s strategy and activities in Germany, pursuing objectives aimed at expanding influence and spreading extremism.
This is the conclusion of a new report issued by the Lower Saxony Office for the Protection of the Constitution (domestic intelligence service), reviewed by Al Ain News. The report explicitly warns of the threat posed by the Muslim Brotherhood network and contains a rare reference to the activities of Tunisia’s Ennahdha Party on German soil.
The report cites a previous statement by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who died in September 2022 and was considered one of the Muslim Brotherhood’s most influential ideologues, in which he spoke of “conquering Europe without a sword and without fighting.”
According to the report, these remarks encapsulated the Brotherhood’s strategy in Europe: infiltration through targeted engagement, or what it describes as “Islamization from the grassroots.”
In this context, the organization relies on a trained elite that integrates into society. On the one hand, it acts as a representative of Muslims and their interests before the state and society; on the other, it possesses significant influence capabilities.
Government institutions sometimes fall into this trap, as the influence exercised by Brotherhood representatives within Muslim communities places them in the position of “partners” in civic education, integration, and other social and political issues.
According to the report, the Muslim Brotherhood uses various centers and associations as organizational footholds to advance its objectives.
The principal organization promoting Brotherhood ideology in Germany is the German Muslim Community (DMG), formerly known as the Islamic Community in Germany (IGD) before it changed its name in 2018.
In addition to its headquarters, the German Muslim Community operates several centers and associations throughout Germany, including the Circle of Muslims Association in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony.
For example, the Muslim Brotherhood continues to pursue its strategy of cultural and ideological infiltration in Lower Saxony.
As part of this effort, the movement exerts influence over mosques in the cities of Braunschweig, Göttingen, Hanover, Osnabrück, and Wolfsburg, where Brotherhood ideological content is disseminated through educational programs, including mosque-based lessons.
Growing Influence
Overall, the report notes a growing influence of the German Muslim Community and its affiliated organizations within society.
This trend is attributed, among other factors, to highly visible activities extending beyond regional boundaries, as well as the organization’s strong media presence. Its representatives seek to occupy important positions within society—or already do so—and consequently benefit from extensive networks of contacts and influence.
According to the report, officials within the federations, associations, and institutions affiliated with the German Muslim Community across the country actively contribute to spreading Muslim Brotherhood ideology throughout society.
Furthermore, branches of the Muslim Brotherhood originating from Arab countries are also partially active in Germany, particularly in Lower Saxony. The Tunisian Ennahdha Party is specifically mentioned in this regard, as some of its members reside in the state.
In the same context, the Lower Saxony Office for the Protection of the Constitution sounded the alarm over increasing cooperation and alliances among various currents of political Islam. According to the report, “the lines that once relatively clearly separated extremist currents of political Islam are becoming increasingly blurred.”
A Covert Strategy
Two weeks ago, a report by the Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution, also reviewed by Al Ain News, accused the Muslim Brotherhood of penetrating the core of society through dialogue, education, and volunteer work while pursuing what it described as a covert dual strategy.
The report quoted Brandenburg Interior Minister Jan Redmann as saying: “The Muslim Brotherhood exploits the freedoms provided by our legal system with the aim of ultimately abolishing those very freedoms and entrenching its totalitarian ideology.”
He added that the organization engages in social work, infiltrates political bodies, and deceives both civil society and political institutions in order to gain acceptance and access public funds to advance its anti-constitutional agenda.
He continued: “In municipalities, political parties, and associations, we must open our eyes and stop naively underestimating these actors.”
According to the report, the Muslim Brotherhood operates in a conspiratorial and transgenerational manner, seeking to bring about gradual changes in political and social conditions, as well as in individuals themselves.
The organization and its support networks are particularly active in the fields of education, social affairs, and politics, the report concludes.
