The Islamist movement Muslim Brotherhood has been expanding its influence in France, acting behind the scenes to make the country a caliphate governed by Sharia law, according to the country’s top intelligence official.
Bertrand Chamoulaud, head of the National Directorate for Territorial Intelligence at the French Ministry of the Interior, made the remarks during an interview with Le Monde this week.
He said more than 100,000 worshippers attend mosques run by the Muslim Brotherhood.
He cited as an example the non-profit organization Collective against Islamophobia in France (CCIF), which was created in 2003 with a mission to combat discrimination towards Muslims. Dissolved in 2020, the CCIF was repeatedly criticized over its use of the term Islamophobia, and was suspected of having Islamist links.
The CCIF’s ideas, such as the compulsory veil or the rejection of mixed-race groups, are now gradually becoming established in Belgium, Chamoulaud claimed.