A Belgian State Security investigation has revealed that the Collectif pour l’Inclusion et contre l’Islamophobie en Belgique (Collective for Inclusion and Against Islamophobia in Belgium) (CIIB) operates as a Muslim Brotherhood-linked pressure group engaged in political interference and narrative manipulation. On 9 July 2025, DH reported that Belgian intelligence service SGRS produced a confidential assessment concluding that CIIB spreads Brotherhood ideology, promoting “inherent hostility” between European societies and Muslims while influencing public policies related to Islam. The article begins:
This is an incendiary report produced by the Belgian State Security Service (SGRS) at the end of April. The Belgian intelligence service looked into the links and work of the Collective for Inclusion and Against Islamophobia in Belgium (CIIB). It determined that the CIIB was a “Muslim Brotherhood-leaning pressure group.” The DH was able to consult the “confidential” document produced by the PFCECT, the integrated capacity to combat extremism and terrorism established by the SGRS. Belgian intelligence indicates that it has identified “that the CIIB is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood due to historical antecedents, the occasional support it receives and the narrative it propagates.” According to them, the CIIB “spreads a narrative borrowed from the Muslim Brotherhood which tends to promote the idea of an inherent hostility in European societies and states towards Islam and Muslims.” [Google translated from French]
Key Points
- The CIIB was founded in 2014 by seven individuals, including a Muslim Brotherhood member, and was supported by Brotherhood-linked organizations FEMYSO and CCIF,
- The organization operates as a Belgian branch of France’s dissolved CCIF, which was banned after the Samuel Paty assassination for Islamist propaganda.
- State Security identifies CIIB’s manipulation of the Islamophobia concept to discredit criticism and oppose policies, particularly regarding veil debates.
- CIIB organized demonstrations against EVRAS’s sex education program, mobilizing veiled women to protest content deemed immoral rather than racist.
The Muslim Brotherhood in Belgium: Influence, Networks, and Policy Impact
Belgium’s strategic position as the de facto capital of the European Union has made it a central node for the Muslim Brotherhood’s European activities, with groups leveraging social justice and anti-racism campaigns to expand their influence. A NEFA Foundation’s report details how the Brotherhood, through student organizations and civil society networks established since the 1980s, has sought to control religious and social institutions, influence policy, and present itself as the legitimate voice of Belgian Muslims—a strategy that remains central to its operations today. Efforts to combat Islamophobia across Europe have seen Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated organizations collaborate with broader civil society networks, often positioning themselves as defenders of minority rights while advancing ideological objectives.
Belgian NGOs with Brotherhood ties, such as those receiving substantial “resilience” funding from anti-racism coalitions, use these resources to shape public discourse and policy, particularly on issues of religious freedom and discrimination. Through civil society mobilization and advocacy, as seen in the ongoing activism led by groups tied to the Global Muslim Brotherhood, the Brotherhood’s narrative frames European societies as inherently hostile to Islam, a tactic that both mobilizes support within Muslim communities and pressures public institutions for concessions.
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Disclaimer
The Global Influence Operations Report (GIOR) employs AI throughout the posting process, including generating summaries of news items, the introduction, key points, and often the “context” section. We recommend verifying all information before use. Additionally, images are AI-generated and intended solely for illustrative purposes. While they represent the events or individuals discussed, they should not be interpreted as real-world photography.
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