The Fall of IESH: How France Confronted the Muslim Brotherhood’s Educational Façade

The European Institute of Human Sciences (Institut Européen des Sciences Humaines, IESH), founded in 1992 by what was then the Union of Islamic Organizations of France (UOIF) — now Muslims of France — has long operated in France under the rubric of Islamic theology, Arabic, Quranic studies, and training of imams. In mid-2025, scrutiny intensified: French authorities froze IESH’s assets, citing suspicions of undeclared foreign funding, doctrinal “links” to the Muslim Brotherhood, and ideological teaching materials that allegedly promoted radical interpretations. On September 3, 2025, the French government, via the Council of Ministers, officially dissolved IESH. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau declared that the institute “promoted radical Islam” and “legitimized armed jihad.” 

Revealing the Institute’s Dual Role: Educational Façade and Ideological Engine

What becomes clear from the government’s statements, associated reports, and investigative journalism is that the IESH had a dual role: outwardly an educational seminary, inwardly a place where religious education and political ideology were fused in ways that the state judged to undermine republican secular values.

• Recruitment & Training of Imams and Youth: IESH provided formal training in theology, Arabic, and the Quran. These courses were not merely academic; many of its graduates became imams or religious teachers in communities across France. Critics allege that its programs went beyond classical Islamic studies.
• Ideological Content & Brotherhood Ties: The French government’s report on the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence in France identifies IESH among key institutions with “personal, doctrinal and institutional” links to the Brotherhood. It alleges that some texts used in the curriculum, lectures, or materials promote interpretations of jihad, gender roles, non-Muslim “others,” and Sharia that are seen as radical or incompatible with French laws and secular norms.
• Foreign Funding & Legal Violations: Authorities point to undeclared donations, especially from abroad (e.g. Qatar), and possible money-laundering, breach of trust, and failure to report according to the laws introduced in 2021 (the “anti-separatism” law), which is designed to ensure transparency in religious organizations and associations.

Thus, while it claimed to educate, IESH is portrayed by the French state as having an embedded ideological mission, one aligned with the global Muslim Brotherhood network’s long-term strategy of influence, recruitment and shaping of religious leadership (imams) and communities.

The Closure as State Acknowledgement and Response

The dissolution reflects more than targeting one institution; it reflects a conscious policy decision by the French government, grounded in concerns about national cohesion, secular values (laïcité), prevention of radicalization, and the potential for ideological “entryism.”

France’s Muslim Brotherhood report (published spring 2024, presented in May 2025) warned that non-violent Islamist networks were using schools, religious training centers, NGOs, and youth associations to influence local and national institutions, especially around secularism and gender equality. 

In this light, the decision to dissolve IESH can be seen as a manifestation of France’s growing resolve to crack down on institutions deemed not just religious or educational, but political in intent. It also reflects that the state perceives a risk in ideological indoctrination that, even if non-violent, may erode republican values and create parallel social structures.

European Context: Similar Policies Elsewhere

France is not alone. Across Europe, several countries have taken or considered measures to check what is seen as Muslim Brotherhood influence in religious, educational, or community institutions.

• In Austria and Germany, there have been investigations, asset freezes, or tighter monitoring of groups alleged to be affiliated with the Brotherhood.
• In the UK, there has been public debate over foreign funding, transparency, and the role of Brotherhood-linked institutions and individuals.
• The French report itself situates IESH among a network including Musulmans de France (formerly UOIF) and the Council of European Muslims (CEM), organizations allegedly tied to Brotherhood currents.

These actions are part of a broader trend: states in Europe are increasingly treating political Islam as a long-term ideological challenge rather than only a security threat, invoking laws on transparency, secularism, financing, and education.

The French decision to close IESH is a significant moment: it reveals and affirms state awareness of how the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence can be exerted via educational institutions; it demonstrates political will to act; and it offers a model (for better or worse) for other European countries.