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As concerns over the Muslim Brotherhood’s growing influence intensify, the Averroès School is once again at the center of public debate, seen as a symbol of the Brotherhood’s soft infiltration into French educational institutions.

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The issue has moved beyond a legal dispute over the school’s funding—it now represents a broader confrontation between the French state and an ideological project that seeks to embed itself within the educational sphere under the guise of complying with the law.

French political analysts argue that Xavier Bertrand, President of the Hauts-de-France region, made a firm move in suspending funding for the Averroès school—a necessary step in combatting the spread of Brotherhood ideology within the French education system.

Before a parliamentary inquiry last Tuesday, Bertrand renewed his accusations against the Averroès School—the largest Islamic high school in France—claiming it has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. He reaffirmed that he did not regret cutting the school’s regional funding, even after a court ordered its reinstatement.

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“If I had to do it again, I would do exactly the same,” he said, describing himself as “the whistleblower” in this case.

During the 90-minute session, he added: “Had I not raised the alarm, nothing would have changed. This will remain my battle until the very end.”

Although the administrative court in Lille ruled that there was no serious violation justifying the withdrawal of funding, Bertrand announced that the region would not resume financial support until all legal avenues had been fully exhausted, maintaining that he had “made no mistake.”

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A Broad Network

Guillaume Rouhier, head of the Islamic Extremism Studies Unit at the Fondapol Foundation, stated that Bertrand’s decision reflects “an exceptional political awareness in confronting the so-called soft infiltration practiced by educational associations with Brotherhood ties.”

Rouhier explained that “the school is not just an educational institution—it’s part of a broader network that links religious education with a transnational Islamist ideology, trying to adapt to French laws without genuinely embracing the spirit of the Republic.”

He emphasized that the court’s claim of no serious violation does not negate the presence of ideological signals that could compromise the neutrality of education. Bertrand’s stance, therefore, is not political grandstanding but a legitimate preventive measure.

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A Cultural and Sovereign Battle

Laurence Picot, a researcher at the French Center for Political Analysis of Islam (CEVIPOF), said that “the issue is not just legal—it’s cultural and a matter of sovereignty.”

She explained that the Averroès School “relies on a pedagogical vision inspired by political Islam,” and that “since 2015, repeated investigative reports have shown how such institutions gradually become influence centers for the Muslim Brotherhood in France, through questionable funding and controversial curricula.”

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For Picot, “supporting such schools—even if they operate under legal cover—legitimizes the idea of political Islam within the French school system.”

By standing firm on his decision, Xavier Bertrand acts not as a mere administrator, but as a political leader who recognizes that the fight against Islamist ideology has moved beyond associations and mosques to infiltrate the educational field itself. Despite the court’s decision, he remains committed to pursuing all legal avenues, taking a principled stance to shield the French Republic from the normalization of institutions with Islamist backgrounds, however lawful they may appear.

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