The European Parliament has a historic opportunity to end years of complacency towards the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist influence networks when it votes on the issue on Thursday, ECR MEPs said during today’s plenary debate.

The ECR Group is calling for the Muslim Brotherhood and its network to be placed on the EU list of terrorist organisations, alongside much greater scrutiny of affiliated organisations, their sources of funding and their access to European institutions and public money.

ECR Shadow Rapporteur Nicolas Bay said:

“Tomorrow, we have a historic opportunity to put an end to years of complacency and naivety when it comes to the Muslim Brotherhood.

“No more funding for these kinds of Islamic movement organisations, and no more place for them in our institutions.

“The Muslim Brotherhood should be put on the EU list of terrorist organisations. We have this insidious movement that wants to conquer our social life, our territory and our public sphere, and the Commission has to hear this legitimate demand of the people.”

The ECR Group argues that greater attention must be paid not only to openly extremist organisations, but also to networks operating through civil-society, youth, religious and anti-racism organisations, including their links, financing and lobbying activities within European institutions.

ECR Coordinator on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Assita Kanko said:

“We mustn’t be naive. The fundamentalists are very patient. They infiltrate our democratic system like a poison. Organisations like FEMYSO are linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, and they can do their lobbying work undisturbed here.

“It is high time that we had a coherent European strategy against the Muslim Brotherhood. We have to show the networks, show where the money is flowing from, and they should at last be put on the EU terrorist list.”

Kanko also stressed that confronting political Islamism should not be confused with hostility towards Muslims. For the ECR Group, tackling Islamist networks also means protecting Muslims living in Europe from fundamentalist political pressure. She said:

“We have to give Muslims in Europe the opportunity to build a life for themselves here in Europe without being threatened by political Islam. And we in Europe are going to have to decide on that, and therefore we should not compromise.”

The ECR Group is also calling for organisations linked to the Muslim Brotherhood to be denied access to EU institutions and funding, for greater transparency over foreign financing and for stronger safeguards against attempts by Islamist networks to influence European policymaking.

The European Parliament will vote on the resolution on Thursday. The vote is expected to be close.