Critical report on Muslim Brotherhood could 'rekindle a sense of fear' in France, says expert
The government on Wednesday released a redacted version of a report on the infiltration of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in France. For weeks, political and media attention has been fixated on the issue, driven by interior minister Bruno Retailleau, who is aware of the political gain he might reap from it. The document - which was presented to France's Defence and National Security Council - immediately led to a call from President Emmanuel Macron for new measures to counter what the authors call a “threat to national cohesion”. One of the expert witnesses questioned for the report was researcher Frank Fregosi. In an interview with Mediapart's Lucie Delaporte, the academic voices his concern over the impact of the document and the widespread climate of mistrust facing practising Muslims in France.
AA report entitled 'Frères musulmans et islamisme politique' ('The Muslim Brotherhood and political Islamism') was presented on Wednesday May 21st to France's Defence and National Security Council. The document says the Brotherhood – founded in Egypt in 1928 - has a strategy to gain a foothold in French life. The report immediately led to a demand from President Emmanuel Macron for new measures from ministers to tackle what the document's civil servant authors call a “threat to national cohesion”. In a separate move, former prime minister Gabriel Attal is set to propose a ban on the wearing of the Muslim headscarf or hijab for anyone under the age of 15.
