Continuing Analysis on Muslim Brotherhood: Flimsy Arguments Persist Against Averroes
France's Lycée Averroès, a Private Muslim School, Remains a Focus in Political Islam Debates
A recent report, "Brothers Muslims and Political Islam in France," submitted to President Emmanuel Macron on May 21st, and published on Friday, has shed light on the Muslim Brotherhood's influence, particularly in religious education, considered a key pillar of their power. The report points out that the educational sector seems to be the French branch's top priority, setting it apart from its European counterparts.
Out of the five Muslim institutions receiving state funding for all or part of their students, three are linked to the National Federation of Muslim Private Education, which has connections to the Muslim Brotherhood. Among these, Lycée Averroès of Lille - the first private Muslim school to benefit from a state contract in 2008 and the first to lose it, in late 2023 - is a significant focus, often considered a flagship of Muslim Brotherhood influence.
The report revisits various sensitive issues related to the Lycée Averroès' contract cancellation procedure, initiated by the Nord prefecture, which was eventually canceled by the Administrative Court of Lille on April 23, 2025. Principal Eric Dufour, reading the report, expressed concern that while all these raised concerns have been refuted by evidence, it seems as if these issues never occurred.
This Lycée has been a point of contention for several years regarding secular principles, educational policy, and security concerns in France. In early 2025, the judiciary intervened to restore the school’s state contract after attempting to suspend financing - a move interpreted as a political setback for local and national authorities.
Separately, there have been concerns over external funding, with Qatar Charity, a Qatari organization with a history of supporting Muslim causes and allegations of funding fundamentalist groups, having contributed 4.2 million euros to Lycée Averroès and attempting to purchase the school. However, the school refused this offer to maintain its independence, and there's no evidence in public reports that the school is under Qatar Charity's operational control.
While Lycée Averroès is viewed as "proche" (close to) Muslim Brotherhood-aligned networks in recent reports, it maintains operational independence. Debates concerning political Islam and state-secularism in France persist, with Lycée Averroès remaining a test case for these contentious issues.
The report on Muslim Brotherhood's influence in France highlights the Lycée Averroès, a private Muslim school, as a key focus in debates about political Islam, particularly in the context of education-and-self-development and general-news. Despite refutations of concerns regarding its security, educational policy, and secular principles, the Lycée Averroès remains a test case for the ongoing debates about political Islam and state-secularism in France.
