Action Plan in Germany: A New Path to Counter the Muslim Brotherhood
The Muslim Brotherhood in Germany is on the verge of facing a major blow, as the government prepares to implement one of its most significant commitments outlined in the coalition agreement.
The coalition government, made up of the Christian Union (conservative) and the Social Democratic Party (centre-left), pledged in their coalition agreement, signed a few months ago, to combat political Islam — with the Brotherhood at its core.
The agreement states: “We will combat Islamism and develop a nationwide federal action plan for this purpose… We aim to expand the task force on Islamist prevention into a permanent body within the Federal Ministry of the Interior, which will comprehensively address this phenomenon and support the implementation of the forthcoming action plan.”
The German government is preparing to launch an internal study involving dialogue with various stakeholders, with the goal of formulating a federal action plan to counter political Islam.
Sources say the upcoming plan will address all dimensions of the issue — from financing to propaganda, recruitment, and partnerships with government institutions in the education and culture sectors.
A few days ago, Christoph de Vries, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, expressed in press remarks his hope that the drafting process for the federal action plan will begin this coming autumn.
The ministry plans to involve civil groups, such as the Working Group on Political Islam (a team of researchers focused on countering the movement), in shaping the plan by preparing preliminary drafts to be discussed and used in crafting the official version.
A large network
The Muslim Brotherhood, which operates an extensive network, is regarded as the most prominent political Islamist organization in Germany.
Its main operational arm is the German Muslim Community Organization, which serves as the Brotherhood’s public face and coordinates its network across the country.
One of the organization’s objectives is to present itself to politicians, authorities, and civil society partners as a representative of a supposedly moderate, global Islam.
The organization follows a strategy to influence Germany’s political and social spheres based on the Brotherhood’s ideology.
It also adopts a strategy of deception — refraining from publicly acknowledging any ties to the Brotherhood or making anti-constitutional statements. However, the many documented contacts between senior members of the German Muslim Community and well-known Brotherhood leaders abroad clearly indicate that the group active in Germany is part of the Brotherhood’s global network.
Currently, around 50 Islamic centers work closely with the organization, along with many affiliated mosques and prayer spaces.
