France combats Muslim Brotherhood infiltration with a firm decision: banning a group event in Nantes
French authorities on Saturday upheld the ban on an annual gathering organized by the association “Muslims of France,” widely regarded as the French branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, in the western city of Nantes.
The event, known as the “Meeting of Muslims of Western France,” was scheduled to take place over the weekend of May 23–24 in Nantes, before the Loire-Atlantique prefecture issued a ban at the request of French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez.
French authorities stated that the ban was imposed because prominent figures linked to the Muslim Brotherhood were expected to participate, amid concerns that statements made during the event “could constitute criminal offenses and undermine the principles of the Republic, national cohesion, and human dignity.”
Government support for the ban
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu welcomed the judicial decision, describing it as “an important step in combating the infiltration of the Muslim Brotherhood.”
In a post on the platform “X,” Lecornu stated that “the Republic must be firm, precise, and free of any legal loopholes in the face of political Islamism,” while thanking Interior Ministry teams for “their constant and essential mobilization.”
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez also confirmed that the judiciary had validated the ban, saying that “the statements likely to be made during the gathering could undermine the values of the Republic, national cohesion, and human dignity.”
He added: “This gathering cannot take place, and I call on everyone to respect this ban.”
The prefect of the Pays de la Loire region and Loire-Atlantique also announced on “X” the issue of an official decree prohibiting the gathering on May 23 and 24.
An ongoing escalation against the Muslim Brotherhood
The decision comes as part of a series of escalating measures taken by France against organizations linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, within the broader framework of combating what Paris describes as “Islamist infiltration” into French society.
In recent months, France has dissolved institutions and associations linked to the movement, while members of the French National Assembly moved in January 2026 to push the European Union toward designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
On May 6, the French Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill aimed at combating what it described as the “penetration of political Islam,” in a move that experts considered a new turning point in Paris’s policy toward hardline Islamist groups.
The bill passed with 208 votes in favor and 124 against, based on a proposal submitted by Bruno Retailleau, leader of the Republicans party and former French Interior Minister.
The legislation seeks to tighten measures against associations and movements accused of undermining the values of the French Republic by facilitating the dissolution of associations, increasing penalties against those who violate “the principles of the Republic,” imposing stricter oversight on the construction of places of worship, and freezing the assets of separatist groups.
Retailleau stated that France must be “extremely firm, with zero tolerance” toward movements seeking to “undermine social cohesion and the republican form of institutions.”
The bill is based on a report prepared by Retailleau in 2025, when he served as Interior Minister, concerning what he described as “Muslim Brotherhood-linked infiltration” and its impact on republican values in France.
Meanwhile, the French government is preparing a separate and stricter bill, announced in early April by Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and currently under review by the Council of State.
The proposed legislation includes broader measures to monitor what Paris describes as “all forms of infiltration,” including monitoring publications, strengthening mechanisms for removing inflammatory online content, and tightening oversight of associations and funding linked to extremist movements.
