President Emmanuel Macron held a meeting on Wednesday with senior ministers to examine a confidential report accusing the Muslim Brotherhood of using local networks to challenge France’s secular system, according to Reuters.
The document, which has not been made public, called for steps to address what it describes as a long-term and non-violent strategy to advance political Islam in a way that could threaten social cohesion and the integrity of state institutions.
The report has sparked criticism from some members of the Muslim community and academics, who have raised concerns over its tone and implications.
Under increasing pressure from the rising far-right opposition, Macron launched a strict campaign against what he calls “Islamic separatism” to limit foreign influence on Islamic institutions and communities.
Presidential advisers, cited by Reuters, emphasised that Macron seeks to address a deliberate attempt by Islamist groups to penetrate and reshape the structures of the French state.
Ministers have been directed to prepare responses, with concrete proposals to be reviewed during a follow-up meeting scheduled for June.
“The report said the Islamist campaign was focusing on schools, mosques and local non-governmental organisations, with the aim of influencing rule-making at local and national levels, notably concerning secularism and gender equality,” according to Reuters.
The report also names Musulmans de France (Muslims of France) as the primary domestic representative of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928, is a transnational Islamic movement that originally opposed colonialism and seeks to establish Islamic law through peaceful political engagement.
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