Paris- 

Paris- A new study released by the Ifop Institute has revealed a worrying rise in strict religious practices and Islamist-leaning attitudes among young Muslims in France, alongside a clear increase in support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which now enjoys significant acceptance among the 15–24 age group.

According to the findings, around 42% of young Muslims express explicit sympathy toward Islamist movements, compared with 33% among the general Muslim population. The study also indicates that one-third of Muslims under 25 show direct support for the Muslim Brotherhood, making it the most influential Islamist movement among this generation.

Rise of Conservative Practices and Rejection of Republican Principles

The report highlights a striking surge in strict religious observance over the past three decades. Mosque attendance among young Muslims has risen from 7% in 1989 to 40% today, strict Ramadan observance has reached 83%, and the rate of hijab-wearing among young women has jumped from 16% to 45%.

The study warns of the emergence of a culture rejecting key principles of social coexistence, with more than half of young Muslim women and nearly half of young men refusing certain forms of gender interaction such as shaking hands, receiving medical treatment from someone of the opposite sex, or attending mixed swimming pools.

The data also shows a declining preference for French republican law in favor of religious norms. 57% of Muslims aged 15 to 24 say that sharia law is more important than the laws of the French Republic an unprecedented shift that reflects deep changes in the value system of the younger generation.

Muslim Brotherhood: The Most Influential Movement

According to the study, the Muslim Brotherhood tops the list of Islamist movements most favored by young Muslims, ahead of Salafism, Wahhabism, and Takfirism. This reflects the growing influence of Brotherhood-linked networks within educational and social environments, particularly those involved in imam training and the establishment of private Islamic schools.

Researchers warn that the spread of Muslim Brotherhood ideology contributes to creating a parallel identity that runs counter to France’s national values, promoting social separation and resistance to integration—seen by many as a direct threat to the Republic’s secular, egalitarian, and liberal principles.

A Rapid Trend Likely to Expand

The study indicates that the ongoing process of “re-Islamization” among France’s Muslim population is not diminishing over time; rather, it is intensifying with each new generation. Support for Islamist ideas has nearly doubled over the past two decades, with a sharp rise since 2016—a period marked by the expansion of ISIS and heightened identity tensions in France.

The report concludes that young Muslims today are increasingly asserting a stricter religious identity, often in response to what they perceive as a “hostile French society,” a phenomenon that risks deepening social divides and posing major challenges to the institutions of the Republic.