European Parliament votes to confront Muslim Brotherhood, ‘Islamist entryism’ in overwhelming vote

The European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for an EU strategy to counter what it describes as Islamist “entryism” and the influence of Muslim Brotherhood networks. Its sponsor, French MEP Céline Imart, called the vote a European first and a shift in policy, while an extremism researcher said it reflected growing support for action among some European governments.

The Parliament’s statement said such networks could target democratic institutions, the rule of law, gender equality and fundamental freedoms. It also said Muslim citizens must be protected from discrimination and cautioned against treating organised Islamist networks as representative of Muslims. The vote exposed political divisions, with most right-wing members supporting the text and many on the left opposing it; anti-racism network ENAR condemned it as racist and Islamophobic and rejected allegations linking it and member groups to the Brotherhood.