Between Antisemitism and Islamophobia: The Double Face of Brotherhood Propaganda in Europe and America
Sherzad MamSani (EastMed SSI contributor)
Head of the Israel-Kurdistan Alliance Network
In recent years, and with increasing acceleration since October 7, 2023, the Muslim Brotherhood has re-emerged as one of the most prominent players in Western political and media narratives. Between a discourse of victimhood under the banner of Islamophobia and a discourse of incitement cloaked in hostility to Jews, the group is exploiting the European and American democratic space to build networks of influence that transcend its traditional borders. This contradiction—the oscillation between a discourse of victimhood and a discourse of hate—has become a strategic propaganda tool that allows the Brotherhood to infiltrate Western society and form unexpected alliances with leftist and radical movements.
• The UN defines Islamophobia as fear, prejudice, and hatred of Muslims leading to hostility and violence; UN and EU bodies note a post-Oct 7 surge alongside broader spikes in hate speech and antisemitism.
• European security services and scholarly reviews describe Brotherhood-linked networks operating via NGOs, student groups, and charities to advance long-term societal goals at odds with constitutional principles, even when not directly violent; the historical ideological linkage to Hamas is well documented.
• EU 2024: 58 attacks reported, 24 jihadist; 449 terrorism arrests, 289 jihadist. Europol stresses the Gaza war’s role in radicalization and identifies antisemitism as a common denominator in violent extremist propaganda.
• U.S. 2024: ADL recorded 9,354 antisemitic incidents, a record high; FBI Director Wray has repeatedly warned of an elevated threat since the Gaza war.
• France 2024: 1,570 antisemitic acts recorded; French police also report broader increases in racist, xenophobic and anti-religious offences.
• Designations: Bans in Egypt/UAE/Saudi Arabia and in Jordan in April 2025; no EU-wide or U.S. designation, though a 2025 U.S. House bill would designate the Brotherhood.
• Turkey hosted MB figures after 2013; since 2024, selective restrictions emerged (e.g., revocation of a senior figure’s citizenship) amid normalization with Cairo.
Concept and political use of Islamophobia
• UN messaging urges action against anti-Muslim bigotry and online hate; the EU appointed a coordinator to combat anti-Muslim hatred. In public debates, the term is sometimes instrumentalized by Islamist or allied advocacy to deflect scrutiny of political Islam; policy guidance stresses precise legal targeting of conduct, not belief.
Identity, structure, ties to Hamas
• The UK’s 2015 Jenkins Review outlines the Brotherhood’s international networks and its relationship to Hamas, while noting the use of front groups to advance agendas through civil society.
Legal status & enforcement landscape
• Europe: intelligence monitoring, selective dissolutions and bans on specific hubs; German domestic intelligence lists MB-linked entities within the Islamist spectrum opposed to the constitutional order.
• United States: no FTO designation; the 2025 House bill would designate the organization, but it remains introduced only.
• Middle East: Jordan outlawed the MB on 23 April 2025, aligning with bans in Egypt, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
• Turkey: mixed signals—citizenship revocation for a senior MB figure (2024) and earlier media curbs on MB-aligned channels, without a total break.
Intelligence since the Gaza war
• Europol 2025 highlights Gaza-linked radicalization dynamics across ideologies and online ecosystems.
• MI5 (Oct 2024): the most complex environment on record, with youth radicalization online and concerns over ISKP and al-Qaeda.
• FBI: elevated threat levels and concern about lone actors inspired by the war.
Cross-ideological street alliances and propaganda
• ISD’s 2025 report tracks how extremist Islamist and far-left ecosystems amplified hate and disinformation around the Israel-Hamas war in the UK, France and Germany.
Key statistics
• EU (2024): 58 attacks; 24 jihadist; 449 terrorism arrests; 289 jihadist.
• U.S. (2024): 9,354 antisemitic incidents (ADL); federal testimony repeatedly flags an elevated threat environment.
• France (2024): 1,570 antisemitic acts; broader hate-crime increases reported by Interior Ministry.
Short quotes from leaders (≤25 words each)
• UN Sec-Gen: a disturbing rise in anti-Muslim bigotry; online hate fuels real-world violence.
• MI5 DG: today’s threats are the most complex ever; minors are being drawn into online extremism.
• FBI Director: the terrorism threat, already elevated in 2023, rose to a whole other level after Oct 7.
Policy recommendations
1. Use narrowly tailored laws against extremist conduct and terror finance, never against faith.
2. Increase funding transparency for NGOs with ideological links to MB; audit foreign influence and charitable flows.
3. Enforce anti-hate laws consistently against antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred alike.
4. Pair enforcement with prevention, off-ramps, and credible counter-narratives.
5. Strengthen US-EU judicial/intel coordination on cross-border networks and online ecosystems.
6. Maintain a strict distinction between legitimate scrutiny of political Islam and bigotry against Muslims.
| Sources
1. Europol, EU Terrorism Situation & Trend Report 2025.
2. UK Jenkins Review summary (2015) on the Muslim Brotherhood.
3. GWU Program on Extremism, European services’ assessments of MB networks.
4. BfV/BMI Germany, Verfassungsschutzbericht materials (2024).
5. ADL, Audit of Antisemitic Incidents 2024 (9,354 incidents).
6. MI5, DG Ken McCallum threat update (Oct 2024).
7. FBI Director Christopher Wray testimony/statements on elevated threat since Oct 7.
8. France: SPCJ/CRIF & Interior Ministry figures (2024).
9. UN materials: International Day to Combat Islamophobia, Secretary-General messages.
10. European Commission page on combating anti-Muslim hatred.
11. ISD report on disinformation and hate in the Israel-Hamas war (UK/FR/DE).
12. Jordan outlaws Muslim Brotherhood (Apr 23, 2025).
13. U.S. H.R.3883 (2025), Muslim Brotherhood designation bill.
14. Turkey’s selective restrictions incl. revocation of MB figure’s citizenship (2024).