ZARA Association and the Muslim Brotherhood: Austria Opens the File on the Hidden Arm
A new organization alleged to be linked to the Muslim Brotherhood has come under scrutiny in the Austrian Parliament due to the public funding it has received and the radical ideas and policies attributed to it.
According to a parliamentary inquiry submitted a few days ago by the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), the association ZARA (“Civil Courage and Anti-Racism Work”) receives public funding from various ministries of the Austrian government.
According to the inquiry, government funding allocated to the organization has, at times, amounted to several hundred thousand euros annually.
At the same time, the document argues that several aspects require closer political and administrative examination. ZARA has cooperated within the framework of the “Alliance Against Anti-Muslim Racism,” established in May 2021, which includes individuals described as being linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, among them Farid Hafez.
Farid Hafez was among the figures targeted during police raids against the Muslim Brotherhood in Austria in 2020. His name has also appeared in ongoing investigations concerning the organization and its activities within the country.
The parliamentary inquiry further notes that Farid Hafez appeared as a contributor to ZARA’s 2022 annual report, making him directly involved in the organization’s published content.
In a resolution adopted on April 29, 2021, the European Parliament expressed concern that the organization had repeatedly received European Union funding despite allegations regarding its connections to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Organizations Linked to the Muslim Brotherhood
Within the same alliance, ZARA has also cooperated with several organizations, including the “Muslim Youth of Austria” (MJÖ) and the “Documentation Center on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Racism,” both of which are described in the inquiry as having links to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Regarding the Muslim Youth of Austria, the inquiry states that numerous security assessments and academic studies have repeatedly associated the organization with circles connected to the Brotherhood.
In studies conducted by extremism researcher Lorenzo Vidino, the organization has been classified as ideologically influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood milieu.
Analyses by Austria’s governmental Documentation Center on Political Islam, as well as several university-affiliated research projects, have likewise pointed to organizational links and overlapping personal networks between the organization and the Brotherhood.
Furthermore, MJÖ has, for years, acted as an advocacy-oriented organization that plays a significant role in mobilizing opposition to measures aimed at combating political Islam.
Particular concern has also been raised regarding cooperation between ZARA and the Documentation Center on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Racism. According to the parliamentary inquiry, some actors within political Islamist circles use the issue of anti-Muslim racism as a political narrative to advance specific objectives.
ZARA was also part of the “No to the Headscarf Ban” coalition and participated in mobilization campaigns, including a demonstration held in Vienna on February 13, 2026.
The parliamentary inquiry calls on the Austrian government to provide clear and detailed information regarding all funds received by ZARA from various ministries since 2020.
It also requests comprehensive information for Parliament regarding the specific services and projects financed through these funds, as well as the criteria used in deciding to grant such funding.
It is worth noting that nearly 1,000 police officers took part in raids targeting the Muslim Brotherhood in Austria in November 2020.
At the time, Karl Nehammer, who closely supervised the operation as Minister of the Interior, described it as “a significant blow against political Islam.”
