France: Increasing calls for banning the Muslim Brotherhood Organization… Why?
In France, there is a growing chorus of calls for the banning of the Muslim Brotherhood organization due to its strong connection with Hamas, which is listed as a terrorist group in the European Union. The French public opinion and the stance of political parties are exerting pressure to take further decisions to ban all activities of both Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
French academics are calling for the necessity of creating alternative entities for the Muslim Brotherhood that accurately represent Muslim communities and do not have any political ambitions or aspirations. These entities can be dealt with by the French government for the benefit of integrating their members into society within the framework of republican systems and values, primarily secularism.
According to a study conducted by the European Center for Counterterrorism and Intelligence Studies in Germany, Western European countries are planning to impose more surveillance, monitoring, and oversight measures on charities and Islamic centers related to the Muslim Brotherhood. This aims to prevent the flow of funds to Hamas by Brotherhood members in Europe, while continuing to provide official humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. The objective is to limit the expansion of the conflict and its implications for the resolution of the Palestinian issue and the entire region.
The Center emphasized that France has a significant responsibility, being part of the European Union and having the right to veto in the Security Council. France should present draft resolutions for a ceasefire in Gaza and swiftly reach a humanitarian truce to contain the situation. It should also prevent Israel from using internationally banned weapons against civilians. This should be done concurrently with tightening the control on funding and arming of Hamas and exposing its relationship with extremist Islamic groups.
The study pointed out that Hamas’s recent attack revealed the amount of money, training, and weapons it receives from its supporters. This explains the extent of the losses incurred by the Israeli side and underscores the strength of communication channels between Hamas and the countries that support it, despite strict security measures by Middle Eastern countries to monitor these movements.
The reactions of the European Union countries to Hamas‘s actions indicate serious concerns within the Union about Hamas’s influence in the region and its impact on their interests there, particularly since the movement receives significant support from Iran and has a wide network of relationships beyond the borders of Gaza. Therefore, it is expected that some Union countries will take strict measures against Hamas and related organizations within their territories, as stated in the study.
The Center suggested that European countries may review the relationship between the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, as the terrorist organization remains active in the Middle East and Europe, receiving funds and weapons from the organization. This underscores that the 2017 document regarding Hamas’s separation from the Muslim Brotherhood was mere allegations and a means to distance the movement from any suspicion.
Political observers believe that Muslim Brotherhood circles in France have started losing their influence since 2020, following the murder of a history teacher due to religious incitement through social media platforms. The killing was attributed to the Muslim Brotherhood. Another French teacher was murdered in October 2023 by a Chechen terrorist from a family where all members are accused of extremism and violence.
