A Global Hub
London has quietly become one of the Muslim Brotherhood’s main global centers, alongside Doha, Qatar, and Istanbul, according to British-Egyptian counter-terrorism expert Khaled Hassan. In an interview with Visegrad24 founder Stefan Tompson, Hassan described the UK capital as the Brotherhood’s most powerful Western outpost, where the organization operates under the protection of liberal democratic institutions.
Founded in Egypt during the 1940s, the Muslim Brotherhood is a highly organized transnational Islamist movement. Unlike terrorist groups such as ISIS, the Brotherhood operates in secrecy, organizing its members into small “families” who are unaware of each other. There are no membership cards or official rosters, loyalty is secured through oaths and adherence to doctrine. Its influence is ideological rather than territorial, aiming to place aligned leaders across multiple countries rather than establish a formal caliphate.
Secrecy and Influence
Hassan emphasized that membership in the Brotherhood is pragmatic: individuals do not need to be Muslim to participate. Liberals, academics, and human rights activists who can advance its goals are recruited, creating a network embedded within mainstream institutions. The result is a movement that is invisible to the public but influential in shaping discourse, media narratives, and political lobbying.
After the 2013 ouster of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, many Brotherhood members fled Egypt, seeking safe havens in Turkey, Qatar, and London. While Turkey initially provided refuge, political pressures and reconciliation efforts with Egypt prompted many to move to the UK. Hassan argues that Britain’s liberal values, free speech protections, and prestigious universities offered an ideal environment for the Brotherhood to rebuild its networks.
In the UK, academic institutions reportedly employ professors linked to the Muslim Brotherhood to teach Middle East studies, while media outlets such as BBC Arabic provide a platform for individuals connected to the movement. The Asserson Report is a comprehensive analysis conducted on the BBC and its potential bias, examining not only the content but also the people it interviewed, including reporters and contributors. Hassan investigated nearly 400 individuals affiliated with BBC Arabic and found that the overwhelming majority had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, or other Islamist organizations, he says.
Funding for the Brotherhood comes through three main channels: zakat (Islamic almsgiving), wealthy Muslim donors, and charitable organizations. While donations are often intended for humanitarian causes like Gaza, a portion is legally retained to cover operational costs, sustaining the organization’s networks.
Countering Islamist Networks
Hassan warns that the Brotherhood’s success lies not only in secrecy but in its ability to align with unlikely allies. It has formed coalitions with liberal movements in the West, leveraging values like tolerance and human rights to normalize political Islam and silence critics. This, he argues, has effectively mainstreamed Islamism, framing opposition to it as “Islamophobic” and stifling public debate.
Beyond the UK, the Brotherhood maintains influence across the Middle East. Hamas in Gaza is directly linked to the Brotherhood, while factions exist in Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Tunisia, and Kuwait. Prominent clerics such as Yusuf al-Qaradawi, formerly based in Qatar, have also propagated its ideology internationally.
Hassan emphasizes that Western governments have largely been paralyzed, fearful of pushing the organization underground or provoking radicalization. He argues this inaction is already a victory for the Brotherhood. To counter it, he advocates reforms including making citizenship meaningful, barring individuals opposed to liberal democracy from public office, and defending borders proactively.
He cites the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt as models, where Islamist movements are banned, and proactive measures are taken to dismantle networks before they can gain influence. Hassan insists that applying these lessons in the West is not illiberal but an essential act of self-defense to protect democracy and liberal values.
For Hassan, London’s status as a Brotherhood hub exposes both the efficiency of the movement and the vulnerabilities of Western liberal societies. Delay in addressing its influence, he warns, could lead to deeper radicalization and potential instability, echoing concerns raised in France about rising tensions within Muslim communities and the risk of civil conflict.
Adam Starzynski
Journalist | Foreign Policy Analyst
