Parliament approves PVV motion to ban Muslim Brotherhood, despite controversy

The Dutch parliament has approved a PVV motion seeking to ban the Muslim Brotherhood and related organizations. The PVV had repeatedly attempted to secure a majority for the motion, but earlier efforts fell short. In January, the ChristenUnie and 50PLUS opposed it, but after reversing their stance, the motion finally passed.

Voters from the VVD, SGP, JA21, BBB, Mona Keijzer, Groep Markuszower, and FVD joined PVV members Geert Wilders and Maikel Boon in supporting the motion, securing the slimmest possible majority of 76 seats.

The motion cites a French government report warning of “the subtle, long-term infiltration by the Muslim Brotherhood, aiming ultimately to establish an Islamic state governed by Sharia.” However, the latest terrorism threat assessment from the Dutch National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV) makes no mention of the Muslim Brotherhood.

CDA MP Tijs van den Brink pointed out ahead of the vote that the Muslim Brotherhood is not recognized as a formal organization by the intelligence service AIVD and therefore cannot legally be banned, leading his party to oppose the motion.

A similar motion last year, which sought to classify Antifa as a terrorist group, also sparked controversy because critics noted that the organization does not exist in the Netherlands.

During last week’s parliamentary debate on integration, Minister of Labor and Participation Thierry Aartsen recommended voting against the motion. While he acknowledged that the Muslim Brotherhood’s actions are “questionable,” he stressed that the group is very small and poses little threat to the democratic rule of law in the Netherlands.

The PVV members’ motion does not clarify which “affiliated organizations” should also be prohibited. In the debate, they asserted, without substantiation, that the Muslim Brotherhood seeks to introduce Sharia “through schools, mosques, social organizations, and political influence.” Sharia refers to Islamic law.