The Muslim Brotherhood in Europe and Youth: An Extensive Arm with 31 Branches and a Structured Recruitment Strategy
Youth holds a central role in the Muslim Brotherhood’s strategic operations in Europe, as the movement seeks to influence this demographic to facilitate recruitment. This is where the organization FEMYSO comes into play.
According to the most recent report from the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (domestic intelligence) in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, a network of mosques, associations, and institutions linked to the Muslim Brotherhood spans across Europe. The Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE) functions as the umbrella body, presenting itself as a central point of contact for Sunni Muslims on the continent.
In the youth domain, the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organizations (FEMYSO) serves a similar purpose. Based in Brussels as well, FEMYSO acts as the overarching youth and student body for Brotherhood-affiliated circles in every European country. It is not uncommon for children of key leaders within the Brotherhood’s European network to occupy leadership roles within the organization.
Reports from Germany’s intelligence services stress that the Brotherhood’s focus is particularly aimed at youth and adolescents, as they are more susceptible to influence and recruitment. In this context, FEMYSO appears to be a pivotal tool for the Brotherhood to extend its reach and influence over the younger generations across Germany and Europe at large.
FEMYSO’s past actions have already drawn attention. In 2021, the organization was the subject of a parliamentary question in the European Parliament due to its alleged connections to the Muslim Brotherhood and its penetration of EU institutions.
At that time, MEP Nicolas Fest submitted an inquiry to the European Commission titled “Funding, implementation, and oversight of the WE CAN4HR campaign,” pointing directly at Brotherhood-affiliated NGOs. The campaign, launched by the Council of Europe in February 2020 to combat hate speech online and on social media, received EU funding under the “Rights, Equality and Citizenship” programme.
A workshop under this campaign was held on 27–28 September 2021 in cooperation with FEMYSO, which is described as an organization linked to the Brotherhood.
That same year, French Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune publicly criticized FEMYSO, calling it a “puppet” in the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood. His statement came in a post on X (formerly Twitter) following a meeting between European Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli and a delegation of Muslim youth associations that included FEMYSO.
In a previous report, Politico quoted Lorenzo Vidino, Director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, who has tracked Brotherhood activities across Europe. Vidino warned that FEMYSO is effectively a “descendant” of FIOE, the Brotherhood-linked umbrella organization.
Founded in 1996, FEMYSO was established to bring together all Muslim youth and student organizations affiliated with the Brotherhood ideology under one central body, according to Austria’s Center for Political Islam Documentation. The organization currently includes 31 member associations from 20 European countries. Its founder and first president was Ibrahim El-Zayat, a key figure in the Brotherhood’s European network.
According to its own records, the Muslim Youth of Austria (MJÖ) was a member of FEMYSO between 2003 and 2005, though some indicators suggest the affiliation may have lasted much longer.
