Authored by AG News Staff via American Greatness,
The European Parliament has approved a resolution condemning the Muslim Brotherhood and calling for stronger action against Islamist influence in European institutions. The resolution is a significant development in the continent's efforts to combat political extremism.
The center-right European People's Party spearheaded the resolution, which follows the Trump administration's designation of the Muslim Brotherhood and four affiliated branches as terrorist organizations.
French European Parliament member Céline Imart, who sponsored the measure, celebrated the vote as a breakthrough.
"This is a historic victory because it is a European first," Imart said, describing the resolution as Europe's first parliamentary action specifically confronting Islamist infiltration and the Muslim Brotherhood.
The resolution warns that organized Islamist networks threaten democratic institutions, religious freedoms, the rule of law and equality between men and women.
It calls for greater scrutiny of foreign funding, particularly involving organizations connected to Qatar and Turkey, and increased transparency surrounding European Union funding of groups suspected of Muslim Brotherhood ties.
Lawmakers also urged the European Council to consider whether Brotherhood-linked individuals and organizations should be added to the EU's terrorist list.
Lorenzo Vidino, director of George Washington University's Program on Extremism, said conservative lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the measure, while significant portions of the political left opposed it.
Imart criticized socialist and far-left lawmakers for boycotting negotiations on the resolution.
Security experts described the vote as an important first step toward confronting Islamist organizations accused of exploiting European democratic institutions.
"This resolution is where the pushback begins against Islamist entryism in Europe," said Edmund Fitton-Brown, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
However, the European Network Against Racism condemned the resolution, calling it discriminatory and warning that it could unfairly target Muslim communities and civil society organizations.
The Parliament emphasized that protecting Muslims from discrimination remains essential while distinguishing religious freedom from organized Islamist political activity.
Unlike the Trump administration's terrorist designations, the European resolution is not binding legislation. Additional action by EU institutions would be required to implement its recommendations.
Imart vowed to continue pressing European leaders to act.
"This vote is a victory, but it is also a starting point," she said.