The Muslim Brotherhood in France (15)

This is the latest in our series of translations from original articles on the presence of the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe and the 15th such article on France. It concerns a recent Ifop (research group) poll just published showing attitudes of the French people, including French Muslims, to a proposed ban on organizations in France linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.

The below article in Le Figaro is translated by Fousesquawk.

French people mostly favorable to ban of organizations linked to Muslim Brotherhood

By Eloi Passot

Poll- Far from being largely hostile, French Muslims are divided. In fact, there are more who see the positive effects rather than the negative, according to an investigation by Ifop for Ecran de Veille magazine.

Banning the Muslim Brotherhood. Several Arab countries, like Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, have already done so. The idea has traction, recently revived by a shocking report by the Ministry of Interior. The ramifications in France of this sprawling brotherhood, whose goal is to install an Islamic regime centered on sharia, are dividing the political class.  The adoption of a non-binding resolution 2 weeks ago calling on the European Commission to classify this organization as terrorist, based on the proposal of the Republicans (LR), caused outrage on the benches of the France Insoumise (party).

The debate is illuminated by the Ifop poll on behalf of Ecran de Veille magazine, published on Tuesday (sic), February 2, 2026. A majority of French (53%) say they favor a ban on organizations linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, while 23% of French are opposed, and 24% have no opinion. Unsurprisingly, there is less consensus among French Muslims, who don't reject the ban outright, but are divided: 38% approve, 43% oppose, and 19% have no strong opinion.

French Muslims are also very divided as to the positive effects that such a ban could bring. Almost half of them (48%) think it could "reduce the reasons to conflate Islam and Islamism", and 47% think it would "reinforce national cohesion and respect for the laws of the Republic". On the other hand, a majority (51%) think that this would not bring about a "curb on communalism". 

Melenchon's voters favor ban

What are the arguments that Muslims who oppose this ban put forth? 41% of them fear that it constitutes "a form of discrimination vis-a-vis Islam and Muslims as a whole". On this point, there are more French Muslims who are not worried (49%). They also do not fear (57%) that this would encourage "the emergence of more radical Islamist movements".

Specifically, the study reveals that Muslims favoring the ban are more numerous among the 15-24-year-olds (47%), while those over age 50 are mostly opposed (54%). Another finding is that in the "working-class suburbs", a higher number (46%) are in favor of the ban. On the other hand, in the "affluent suburbs", 54% of them are opposed. Finally, 48% of women who wear the veil are not in favor of the ban, a number that drops to 40% among those who do not.

Overall, among those French in favor of the ban, a strong contrast is observed when it comes to gender: Men (63%) are more favorable in this sense than females (43%). Unexpectedly, the ban has majority support regardless of the vote for premier in the last presidential round: 83% of those who voted for Valerie Pecresse are in favor, 69% of voters for Eric Zemmour, 54% of Marine Le Pen voters, but also 54% of those who chose Emmanuel Macron and Jean-Luc Melenchon.

Last November, an Ifop poll for Ecran de Veille, published exclusively by Le Figaro, showed a strong attraction on the part of French Islamic youth for a more rigorous form of the religion.  This work raised strong criticism within the ranks of France Insoumise, leading to several lawsuits. The 2nd part of the study, published in December, showed, for example, that 33% of French Muslims thought that sharia should be applied everywhere.