Trends exposes the Muslim Brotherhood at the French Senate
The Trends Research and Advisory Center presented research papers at a roundtable organized by the French Senate on the Muslim Brotherhood. The event took place yesterday at the Monory Hall in the Luxembourg Palace.
According to information posted on its website, the Trends delegation presented the “Muslim Brotherhood Influence Index at the International Level” during the session. This index, launched in several languages, was well-received by attendees, who praised the extensive research and intellectual effort that went into its preparation. The new methodology of the index and its ability to measure the influence of religious and ideological groups through quantitative approaches was particularly noted, and many attendees were eager to obtain a copy.
Dr. Mohammed Al-Ali, CEO of Trends, stated that the center’s participation, invited by the French Senate, comes in the context of the French government’s extensive investigation into the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood within the country. This investigation aims to assess the Brotherhood‘s power in France and its connections with other branches worldwide, marking an unprecedented step in how the French state views the group.
Al-Ali highlighted that the invitation also aligns with the launch of the Trends’ international index on the Brotherhood‘s influence. This represents a significant research milestone as it is the first model of its kind to measure the power and influence of religious groups using both quantitative and qualitative methods and key and sub-indicators capable of accurately assessing the Brotherhood‘s influence in 50 countries across various continents.
Dr. Wael Saleh, a researcher, emphasized Trends’ practical implementation of the center’s call for a constructive academic and research dialogue to better understand the phenomenon of Islamism. Despite the significant interest in Islamism since the late 1970s, it has not been adequately studied to uncover its depths, dismantle stereotypes, and resolve controversies surrounding it.
Dr. Saleh also elaborated on the dangers posed by the Muslim Brotherhood through what he termed the “Muslim Brotherhood Syndrome.” This concept refers to the set of signs, symptoms, and phenomena associated with their presence in the public sphere, which contradicts fundamental values of citizenship and communal living. These include monopolizing truth and religion, emotional isolation of their members from society, religious arrogance, political practices driven by the group’s interests, constant societal conflict, the principle of takfir (excommunication) justifying violence, absence of citizenship concepts, loyalty to the group over the nation, and transnational extensions beyond national borders.
Researcher Hamad Al-Hosani explained the reasons behind the Brotherhood‘s declining influence, noting that the group has continued to receive severe blows that have significantly weakened it. Additionally, the Brotherhood‘s media and mobilization machinery has suffered due to lack of professionalism, credibility, and exaggeration. Internal conflicts have persisted, and the fragmentation within the group has not ceased.
