A-Infos (en) France, UCL AL #362 - Spotlight - Report on the Muslim Brotherhood: Islamophobic Segregation (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

The report on the Muslim Brotherhood, which saturated the media and 
political arena last May, clearly reflects the French authorities' 
obsession with a segregationist vision of French society. Upon reading 
the report on the Muslim Brotherhood, a partial version of which was 
made public by the Ministry of the Interior, it is legitimate to wonder 
whether alternative truth has not definitively become state doctrine in 
France as well. Given the comments of politicians (Macron, Retailleau, 
Valls), experts (Kepel, Fourest), and journalists, we already have the 
beginnings of an answer.

It would be pointless and counterproductive to dissect one by one the 
false truths uttered in rapid succession following the publication of 
this report. For Franck Frégosi, research director at the CNRS[1], 
interviewed during the preparation of this report, "the general tone is 
alarmist, and yet, in detail, upon reading it, one wonders what the 
alarm is," adding that the report targets "a movement of a few hundred 
people, which certainly exists and which requires continued vigilance, 
but an aging movement, in a phase of losing momentum, which no longer 
has the same force of influence as in the 1980s and 1990s"[2].

This report does not contradict this, as it states: "Since the Arab 
Spring, the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood has gradually faded in 
the Arab-Muslim world. They were notably deprived of their influence in 
Egypt, their historical cradle, following the fall and conviction of 
President Morsi."»

Numerous protests erupted in France after the assassination of Aboubakar 
Cissé, such as here in Strasbourg on May 14, 2025.
Photothèque rouge/Alexandre
A relentless media machine
Let's take a closer look at what preceded the report's publication by a 
few months. First, in December 2024, an interview with the head of the 
National Directorate of Territorial Intelligence (DNRT), published in Le 
Monde on December 23, 2024[3], teased the report by announcing that the 
Muslim Brotherhood "are very welcoming people, in compliance with 
regulatory standards, but their teachings are not compatible with the 
principles of the Republic enshrined in the 2021 law, particularly on 
anti-Semitism or the place of women in society."

As if Retailleau, Bolloré, or Le Pen were making room for women's 
emancipation and fighting anti-Semitism. Where are the "experts" on the 
panel to point out Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau's backward beliefs 
about women and gender minorities?

The director of the DNRT adds in the interview: "This movement does not 
advocate the use of violence to achieve its ends, but the goal is very 
clear: to ultimately make France and Europe a caliphate by imposing 
Sharia law." Five months later, the last sentence was repeated, almost 
verbatim, by his superior, the Minister of the Interior. The report was 
ready for its media segment.

Let's go back a little further: the presidency commissioned the report 
in spring 2024. Let's not stop there, spring 2023, taken from Florence 
Bergeaud-Blackler's book, Le frérisme et ses réseaux, l'enquête[4]. "A 
book with a gaseous message," as lawyer and essayist Rafik Chekkat wrote 
in Orient XXI in March 2023[5]: "The specter of the Muslim Brotherhood 
haunts Europe. Administrations, businesses, political parties, 
associations, schools, healthcare centers, unions... the threat of their 
sprawling networks is said to be everywhere. This is the starting point 
of the argument Florence Bergeaud-Blackler unfolds. A paranoid vision 
serving the police treatment of the Muslim phenomenon in France and Europe."

The Islamophobic Obsession
One would be tempted to devote a large part of this article to 
explaining what the Muslim Brotherhood movement represents, its journey, 
and its history. But it would be a miscalculation to get bogged down 
such a path and miss the heart of the matter. Published on May 21, the 
report on the Muslim Brotherhood is only the latest in a long list of 
racist laws, measures, and statements from the government.
The release of this report should rather be interpreted as a crossroads 
between diplomatic interests[6]and supremacist political projects, 
justifying the exclusion of sectors of society by labeling them "foreign 
bodies." Conveniently, for the promoters of this report, the term 
"Muslim Brotherhood" would eventually become synonymous with "Muslims" 
by the public, as a result of constant bombardment.

Indeed, the construction of the "Muslim problem" is nothing new. Racist 
laws are piling up to the point that by speaking of "entryism," the 
political authorities are perhaps unconsciously admitting the 
ineffectiveness of all their laws, the latest of which is against 
separatism. Or perhaps they don't care about the effectiveness of the 
laws and that everything is political opportunism to entrench 
institutional racism.

The rhetoric claiming that the report targets only a minority within the 
Muslim minority quickly fades away when the comments behind the 
"political opportunities" are indiscriminate, encouraging the confusion 
of words and accusations. This climate ultimately instills in people 
that a Muslim man or woman-or someone supposed to be-even if 
well-integrated, is a permanent threat. The controversy surrounding the 
dress worn by influencer Léna Situations at the Cannes Film Festival, 
which she called a "Muslim Brotherhood supporter" on that occasion, is a 
blatant example.

Because Islamophobia is one of the least costly forms of racism, 
politically and in the media. It even seems encouraged by the 
media-political horde in power in France and elsewhere. As proof, the 
skirmish between Macron and Retailleau, where the former, furious that 
the latter had stolen the spotlight by leaking part of the report to the 
press, convened a defense council to regain control and demand "new 
proposals" against the Muslim Brotherhood.

Against All Racism
It is clear that the reactionary offensive is not focused solely on 
Muslims or people perceived as such. Negrophobia, Romaphobia (racism 
against people perceived as Roma or Gypsies), anti-Semitism, patriarchy 
and its oppression of women and gender minorities all articulate 
together during this period to fuel the fascist project.

In this context, identity-based withdrawal also threatens the oppressed; 
this is where the dangers accumulate against projects of emancipation 
and equality. For there are wounds, deepened by forced isolation, 
suspicion, and daily humiliation, that are difficult to heal with 
slogans, even the marvelous ones: "Workers of all countries, unite."

Marouane (UCL Nantes)

https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Rapport-sur-les-Freres-musulmans-La-segregation-islamophobe
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