Detail News
18.06.2026
DPI Participates in the CERIF Conference in Paris with Two Presentations
On June 10, 2026, the Documentation Center Political Islam (DPI) participated in the second colloquium on “Islamism in Europe” organized by CERIF (European Center for Research and Information on Frérism) in Saint-Ouen, near Paris. As reported by the French daily newspaper “Le Figaro,” among others, the event brought together experts from Europe and North America to discuss current developments in Islamist movements, their networks, and democratic counterstrategies.
In the first panel, “Qui sont les Frères musulmans, comment agissent-ils?” (Who Are the Muslim Brotherhood, and How Do They Operate?), Ferdinand Haberl, deputy director of the DPI, discussed how democratic societies can respond to actors of legalistic Islamism. Using the Muslim Brotherhood—one of the most influential transnational actors in political Islam—as an example, he demonstrated that their influence in Europe is often exerted not through open confrontation, but through activities within civil society structures, educational initiatives, and legalistic forms of organization.
Against this backdrop, Haberl presented the work of the Documentation Center as a scientifically grounded democratic counterstrategy. The analysis of Islamist ideologies and networks, the dissemination of research findings to educational institutions, the media, and decision-makers, and the public dissemination of knowledge make an important contribution to exposing Islamist influence and strengthening societal resilience.
DPI Head of Research Alexander Weissenburger also participated in the first panel. His presentation focused on the Salafist missionary organization “IMAN,” which is active primarily in German-speaking regions. He emphasized that, despite ideological and historical differences between Salafist actors and the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe, there are often shared narratives, personal connections, and similar sociopolitical objectives. According to Weissenburger, this suggests that different Islamist movements can cooperate in certain areas when they pursue the common goal of a more Islamized society.
Website of the Centre Européen de Recherche et d'Information sur le Frérisme
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