Ankara: French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday announced the creation of new financial and administrative sanctions on "entryism of the Muslim Brotherhood," according to the Le Figaro newspaper. Macron put forward several financial and administrative measures during a meeting of the National Defense and Security Council following the 'Political Islamism and the Muslim Brotherhood" report that was released in May.
According to Anadolu Agency, Macron stated that the measures include the creation of a provision to freeze monetary and financial contributions, expanding on existing frameworks in the area of terrorism. He also announced an expansion of the scope of administrative dissolutions, currently applicable only to legal entities, to now target endowment funds. Another measure introduces a "coercive regime for the dissolution of the assets of dissolved organizations," allowing the judicial court to appoint a curator to oversee their liquidation at the administration's request.
Macron expressed his intention for the texts to be finalized soon, aiming for a draft by the end of the summer and enforcement by the end of the year for measures requiring a change in the law. Additionally, he proposed strengthening the administrative system for prohibiting illegal works by extending the statute of limitations, along with measures to combat "incitement to discrimination and violence."
Other administrative sanctions include daily fines targeting associations that have signed the Republican Engagement Contract (CER) but fail to comply with its terms. The council also decided to enhance the training of imams to reduce dependence on countries of origin. Macron emphasized the need for calm communication toward citizens whose religion is Islam and who respect the Republic's rules.
In the wake of the 'Political Islamism and the Muslim Brotherhood" report, the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) criticized it for potentially fueling suspicion and called for a nuanced, data-driven approach to evaluating extremism-linked threats. The group expressed concerns about the vague use of terms like 'Muslim Brotherhood,' 'political Islam,' and 'Islamist entryism,' warning that such terminology could lead to confusion.