Bringing Together Leading Policymakers and Experts to Discuss Muslim Brotherhood Ideology
- The forum will explore mechanisms for a coordinated European response to the Muslim Brotherhood threat
- Over 50 speakers will examine the challenges and risks posed by the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe
- Its sessions will explore the shift from individual national approaches to an integrated response
- The forum will discuss strengthening research cooperation and policymaking to counter Islamist extremism
- It will explore prospects of cooperation between TRENDS and European institutions on digital extremism
TRENDS Global, in collaboration with TRENDS Research & Advisory, both part of TRENDS Group, unveiled details of the Sixth TRENDS Annual Forum on Political Islam, titled A United European Response to the Muslim Brotherhood Threat. The forum will take place on September 8, 2026, at the House of Lords in London and on September 10 at Palais du Luxembourg in Paris. The forums will bring together leading policymakers, experts, academics, researchers, and specialists in political Islam to discuss Muslim Brotherhood ideology and its networks of influence.
TRENDS announced the details during a press conference at its Abu Dhabi headquarters, where it unveiled the sessions and speakers. The forum will feature five strategic sessions examining the challenges posed by the Muslim Brotherhood and how European countries can develop a more coordinated and effective response. The sessions will also explore ways to move beyond individual national approaches toward a more integrated and effective European response.
Countering Terrorist Financing
The sessions on Political Islam will examine the Muslim Brotherhood’s intellectual and ideological framework and its implications for social cohesion and security in European societies. They will also compare national and international approaches to countering Islamist extremism. The forum further seeks to establish common ground for research cooperation and policymaking aimed at addressing Islamist extremism.
The forum will also address global efforts to counter terrorist financing, including emerging risks associated with cryptocurrencies and digital financial networks, while highlighting effective approaches, cooperation, and best practices. It will further explore prospects of cooperation between TRENDS and European institutions on digital extremism and Islamist ideologies online, with a focus on monitoring tools, discourse analysis, networks of influence, and societal resilience.
High-Level Participation
More than 50 prominent speakers, including members of the House of Lords, the UK Parliament and the French Senate, as well as politicians, experts and specialists, will participate in the forum’s sessions. Among those scheduled to participate are Dr. Mohamed Abdulla Al Ali, Chairman of TRENDS Group; Lord Walney, British politician and life peer, and Adviser to the UK Government on Political Violence and Disruption; Robert John Blackman, MP, Chairman of the 1922 Committee; Richard Tice, MP, Deputy Leader of Reform UK and Member of Parliament for Boston and Skegness; and Lord Polak, Member of the House of Lords and British Conservative politician.
The forum will also feature Baroness Deech, Member of the House of Lords, British academic and politician; Baroness Foster of Oxton, Member of the House of Lords, British politician and former Member of the European Parliament; Lady Olga Maitland, Member of the UK Parliament and President of the Defence and Security Forum; Ivan Lewis, former UK Foreign Minister and former Member of the UK Parliament; Tom Wilson, Head of the Counter Extremism Group; and Dr. Alan Mendoza, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Henry Jackson Society, among others.
Threat to the Social Fabric
Awadh Al-Breiki, General Manager of TRENDS Global, said the forum’s sixth edition goes beyond conventional debate by putting forward research-based, practical solutions to counter terrorist movements and organizations. It adopts a comprehensive approach to examining Muslim Brotherhood ideology from intellectual, digital, financial, and political perspectives, highlighting how the group has evolved into a tangible threat that is gradually affecting Europe’s social fabric through its penetration of educational, cultural, and civil society institutions.
Al-Breiki explained that the forum’s focus and sessions align with analyses by TRENDS experts, who maintain that the Muslim Brotherhood is no longer a centralized organization with a unified leadership structure, but rather an ideology that adapts to different social environments, exploiting the freedoms and democratic space available in Europe to advance its agenda. He added that the forum’s sessions will emphasize that an effective response requires deconstructing the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideological discourse, rather than focusing solely on security measures against its members.
At the Forefront of European Priorities
Speaking at the press conference, Mohammed Al-Salmi, General Manager of TRENDS Research & Advisory, said that holding the Sixth TRENDS Annual Forum on Political Islam in London and Paris represents the culmination of TRENDS’ years-long research efforts, which have produced advanced research tools, including the Muslim Brotherhood International Power Index, now recognized as an authoritative reference for policymakers, experts and researchers worldwide.
Al-Salmi noted that convening the forum’s sessions at two prominent European parliamentary venues — the House of Lords and the Palais du Luxembourg — demonstrates that the debate surrounding the Muslim Brotherhood has moved from the margins to the forefront of European institutional priorities. He said this significant shift reflects greater awareness and a growing recognition of the threat the group poses to European security, while also highlighting tangible European efforts to translate academic and research warnings into practical measures.
Dismantling Networks of Influence
Speaking at the press conference, Hamad Al-Hosani, Head of the Terrorism and Extremism Studies Sector at TRENDS Research & Advisory, said the Sixth TRENDS Annual Forum on Political Islam helps advance a united European response by providing a platform for constructive intellectual dialogue between policymakers and experts. The aim is to develop a research-based, practical roadmap to move beyond individual national approaches toward a coordinated European response to dismantle Muslim Brotherhood networks of influence, while strengthening collaboration among academic institutions and think tanks to promote the values of tolerance and coexistence and counter extremist narratives. This, he said, is the objective the forum seeks to advance at the heart of European institutions.
Al-Hosani explained that the forum will feature five sessions: The Muslim Brotherhood in Europe: Intellectual and Ideological Dimensions, National and International Responses to Islamist Extremism: From Policy to Implementation, Strengthening European Coordination: From Institutional Frameworks to a Common Strategy, Countering Terrorist Financing: Global Approaches and Best Practices, and The Online Islamist Landscape: Governance and Preventive Measures. Together, the sessions will examine the Muslim Brotherhood from intellectual, ideological, security, and policy perspectives and assess the effectiveness of relevant policies and online governance approaches.
