Popular demonstrations calling for banning the “silent” Muslim Brotherhood in Europe
The rejection of the Muslim Brotherhood is continuing worldwide after it has been designated a terrorist organization in many countries, and this awakening has now reached European societies.
In several cities across the Old Continent, hundreds of people took part in simultaneous rallies calling for this group to be classified as a terrorist organization in Europe, and stressing that it does not represent Islam or Muslims.
The demonstrations were launched from Vienna and Prague, London, Paris, Berlin, Switzerland, Brussels, as well as The Hague and Dublin, with the aim of guiding both Muslim communities and European public opinion toward a deeper understanding of the dangers posed by extremist religious discourse.
The movement stresses that extremist groups do not represent moderate Muslims, and that the growing influence of hard-line ideology harms the image of Muslims in Europe and threatens coexistence between religions and cultures.
It also calls for increased pressure to impose strict international sanctions aimed at freezing the Brotherhood’s assets, disrupting its global financial networks, and drying up all sources of funding that are used to finance terrorism.
The campaign highlights the group’s radical ideological agenda and exposes the methods it uses to penetrate civil institutions and Western societies under the cover of charitable or political work.
It further stresses the need for legal accountability by preventing members and leaders of the group from traveling and moving freely, and by calling for those involved in acts of violence and support for terrorism to be brought before international justice.
Among its goals is to support the efforts of governments and civil society in combating the hate speech and extremism promoted by the group, and to protect younger generations from recruitment and the destructive influence of its ideas, in addition to supporting victims by mobilizing humanitarian and legal assistance for those harmed by violence and destruction caused by the group’s activities in conflict zones.
Control over humanity
The Muslim Brotherhood is known for its ability to adapt to local political landscapes, adjusting its strategies according to different needs in different countries, according to the Arab Center for the Study of Extremism.
The center states that the Brotherhood’s ability to adapt to local conditions is “the group’s greatest deception, which leads many people to underestimate how dangerous this organization really is, even though it is rooted in the ideals of 20th-century Islamic movements.”
It affirmed that “the Muslim Brotherhood is an enemy of the Western world and of our concepts of democracy, and it is working hard to destroy both. It is highly pragmatic and strategically aligns itself with progressive associations, hiding its true motives behind charitable work. Yet its ultimate goal is ‘empowerment,’ which, according to one of the most prominent theorists of political Islam, Ali al-Sallabi, means ‘Islam ruling over any other religion and controlling all of humanity.’”
The center added: “Although the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe does not support ISIS or al-Qaeda, describing the Brotherhood as peaceful is inaccurate. Its support for Hamas and for jihad in Syria is evidence of its willingness to use violence as a tool to achieve its aims.”
It continued: “The Brotherhood’s true nature can be seen in its friendly relationship with the Iranian theocracy. Relations between Sunni and Shia Muslims have historically been tense. Hasan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, sought to ease this tension, and when Ruhollah Khomeini came to power in 1979, Brotherhood members offered him their support.”
The center stressed that Islamic organizations that are not directly linked to violence may give the impression of being ‘moderate’ when compared with Salafi-jihadist groups that openly adopt violence, but this misunderstanding is a tragic mistake. Like other global Islamic organizations, the Muslim Brotherhood is an enemy of Western values, and its supporters will misuse terms such as religious freedom, representation of communities, multiculturalism, and identity, and will call for “dialogue” between civilizations in order to conceal their true nature.
The start of real confrontation
Since the publication of the French report in May 2025, several European countries have begun changing their strategies for dealing with the cross-border threat posed by the Muslim Brotherhood.
France started taking urgent measures after the report confirmed the Brotherhood’s deep penetration into society, its control over Islamic organizations and charities, and its dissemination of hate speech.
Following that, the Swiss newspaper 24 Heures warned of the growing influence of the Muslim Brotherhood inside the country. It considered that this current “does not operate only through mosques, but quietly extends its activity through community, educational and financial networks, making it a hidden threat to the social fabric and the country’s democratic values.”
The newspaper said that a report “prepared by France revealed that political Islam represents a threat to the unity of France, and this finding resonated in the Swiss capital, Bern.”
The report triggered a wide debate inside the Swiss Federal Parliament and pushed MPs from across the political spectrum to call for an official investigation into how deeply this group has penetrated Swiss society and what impact it has.
In this context, Swiss MP Jacqueline de Quattro (of the Radical Liberal Party/ Canton of Vaud) called for a detailed report on the situation in Switzerland.
She submitted a parliamentary proposal asking the Federal Council (the government/parliament) to prepare a report on “the presence, structure, influence networks, and methods of operation of political Islamist currents, particularly groups close to the Muslim Brotherhood, in Switzerland.”
According to the newspaper, this proposal enjoyed wide support from several parties: the Green Liberal Party (PVL), the Centre Party (Le Centre), the Radical Liberal Party (PLR), and the Swiss People’s Party (UDC).
A serious American move
At the level of the United States, members of the U.S. Congress have begun taking serious steps toward designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
A new bill has been introduced in Congress to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization in 2025, led by senior Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Florida Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart and Jared Moskowitz.
The bill aims to classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, which would allow sanctions to be imposed on its alleged operations around the world.
Reports indicate that President Donald Trump may choose to move against the Muslim Brotherhood through an executive order if the bill is not passed. Meanwhile, Lorenzo Vidino, director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, stated that “at the domestic level, law-enforcement agencies should use existing legal tools to prosecute the network of Muslim Brotherhood affiliates in the United States.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States has begun procedures to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, in a move he said comes as part of a comprehensive review of groups that pose a security threat.
He said that the Muslim Brotherhood is a major cause for concern, noting that the review is not limited to the Brotherhood alone, but also includes the organization CAIR, which faces repeated accusations from some U.S. lawmakers of having ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Here are reference links:
- A French government–commissioned report warns that the Muslim Brotherhood is working through local proxies to undermine France’s secular institutions and national cohesion. Reuters
- An explainer details how the same French report sparked a major political and media debate by alleging Islamist infiltration of European civil and political institutions. hyphenonline.com
- Coverage of Swiss MP Jacqueline de Quattro describes her parliamentary push for a detailed federal report on Muslim Brotherhood–linked political Islam networks in Switzerland. eupoliticalreport.com
- A July 2025 press release from the U.S. Congress outlines the “Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025,” introduced to classify the group as a terrorist organization. congress.gov
- A joint statement by U.S. Representatives Jared Moskowitz and Mario Diaz-Balart explains their renewed legislative effort to codify the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization. moskowitz.house.gov