Most French citizens are in favor of prohibiting groups linked to the Muslim Brotherhood that aim to promote Islamic principles in Western societies, including Sharia law.
As per a survey conducted by Ifop, 53% of the French population supports the ban on these organizations. This is reported by *le figaro*. In contrast, 23% oppose the ban, while 24% remain undecided.
Interestingly, support for this ban spans various political affiliations. Ifop noted that those who voted for the Republican candidate in the last election showed the highest support at 83%, followed by anti-Muslim activist Eric Zemmour at 69%.
What’s perhaps more striking is that the same percentage of supporters from populist National Rally leader Marine Le Pen’s camp, liberal President Emmanuel Macron, and far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon back the ban, each at 54%.
The survey indicates a divide based on gender, revealing that 62% of men are in favor of the ban compared to only 43% of women.
Among French Muslims, opinions are nearly evenly split, with 38% supporting the ban, 43% opposing it, and 19% undecided.
Half of the Muslims favoring the ban expressed the belief that it might “reduce the reasons for confusing Islam and Islamism” or aid in “strengthening national unity and respect for republican law.”
Conversely, 41% of those against the ban argued that it would be “a form of discrimination against Islam and all Muslims.”
An investigation is anticipated after the Diet passed a non-binding resolution urging the European Commission to officially classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group.
Last November, the United States, during Donald Trump’s presidency, began a review to assess whether to label Muslim Brotherhood chapters, including its original faction in Egypt, as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs).
The topic of the Muslim Brotherhood gained significant attention in French politics last year after an internal government investigation, which found its way to the media, revealed security officials knew of the group’s longstanding campaign to infiltrate France and other European institutions aggressively, seeking to undermine the West.
This alleged “strategy of conquest” purportedly includes the radicalization of Muslim immigrants and leveraging local institutions to ensure strict adherence to hardline Islamic practices. This approach appears to be yielding results, as recent studies indicate that Muslims aged 18 to 25 are considerably more radicalized than preceding generations, surpassing even the “most pessimistic estimates” of failed integration.
