By Maria Maalouf
The presence of the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe in general and Germany in particular dates back to decades ago, when Germany hosted the Brotherhood’s leaders persecuted by the Arab regimes, specifically Egypt and Syria, as well as the “Brotherhood” of Turkey, the “Milli Gorush” group, where they received comprehensive embrace in Berlin, to the extent that its branches dealt with Germany as if it were a state of headquarters, planning, and funding for the global networks. We all remember the “Hamburg cell” led by the Egyptian Brotherhood, Mohamed Atta, who took over the leadership of one of the groups that executed the September 11 attacks in the United States.
However, it seemed remarkable that the group’s leaders and elements moved from Egypt to Europe after the fall of the Brotherhood’s regime led by former President Mohamed Morsi. However, the leaders and influential figures in the Brotherhood were based in Britain, Austria, and Germany. Intelligence and security reports warned that the Muslim Brotherhood was able to extend its influence in Germany, was able to build a broad base and expand its activities. The German security services monitored the activities of the Brotherhood in several cities. It is worth mentioning that the first person to establish a foothold for the Brotherhood in Germany was Saeed Ramadan, the personal secretary, and husband of Hassan Al Banna ’s daughter, the founder of the group that become the most extensive and vital Islamic institution in Germany, the “Islamic Association in Germany.” Dozens of other organizations branched out from it, the number of organizations affiliated with the Brotherhood is currently about thirty.
Recently, a media political, and legal controversy arose in Germany about the status of the “Muslim Brotherhood” and its funding. Lawmakers believe that the Muslim Brotherhood is more dangerous than the jihadists, as they do not seek to establish an Islamic state, not through violence, but rather through “interference.” through institutions” legally, and what German intelligence concluded is that the Brotherhood is more dangerous than the terrorist organizations’ Al Qaeda and ISIS. The German newspaper “Die Welt” quoted a report issued by the security authorities that “the Islamic Association in Germany includes about 13,000 members, and its activities cover all parts of the country,” and that the Brotherhood took advantage of the Islamic Association in the city of Cologne for political incitement, and worked through it to whitewash the face of the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe.
Regarding how the Brotherhood was able to penetrate Europe, Dr. Lorenzo Video, author of the book “The New Muslim Brotherhood in the West,” says, “The meeting of European politicians with extremist organizations would legitimize the Brotherhood’s organization and increase the power of their political influence in German society.” In his book, he revealed that many of the Brotherhood’s leaders occupied prominent positions in Germany, which made them influential, which raises terror from the growth of that presence, primarily since the Muslim Brotherhood in Germany benefits from cooperation with Turkish Islamic associations, especially with the extremist Milli Gorush movement, the Turkish arm Of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Turkish Union for Religious Affairs.
Accordingly, the Muslim Brotherhood in Germany has become a dilemma for the security and intelligence agencies, primarily because the associations and organizations affiliated with the group are infiltrating the democratic system to create a parallel society based on the Brotherhood’s ideology, primarily since these associations provide social services, which allows them to penetrate and cause a threat to national security. The growth of the Muslim Brotherhood’s activities in Germany reflects the negative influence of Islamic organizations with extremist ideology.