Salafist trends in Europe during 2019: Cautious decline and attempts to demonstrate presence

The year 2019 witnessed a marked variation in the activity of the various Salafist and fundamentalist currents in Europe, as well as many developments on the security, political and legal scene in dealing with these currents in different regions of the continent, where many countries were affected in previous years by terrorist attacks.

The fundamentalist Salafist currents in Europe are divided into four categories: terrorist groups, the methodical knowledge-based Salafist current, reformist groups that support terrorist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and Hizb ut-Tahrir, and the Tablighi Jamaat movement that fluctuates between Sufism and Salafism.

Terrorist and extremist groups

The year 2019 was marked by a wary calm of the activities of the armed organizations in Europe since their inception, and perhaps the quietest since 2014, as terrorist operations have largely disappeared this year. Security services recorded only limited individual operations, which were thwarted before being carried out, and they were able to control many cells involved in previous terrorist operations.

Preemptive operations

In France, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced on October 18 that French security services arrested a person who was planning to carry out an attack inspired by the attacks of September 11, 2001.

On April 29, 2019, the public prosecution in Paris also announced the arrest of “several people” on suspicion of involvement in a plan to attack French security forces. The cell was called an “evil, criminal, terrorist gang,” according to the official French authorities.

In Spain, which is one of the main crossings for militant groups coming from North Africa, the authorities revealed the details of a Madrid cell of al-Qaeda. Fares Kutayni, who was responsible for the terrorist cell and was recently arrested by police in Madrid, was receiving accurate and detailed information about operations carried out by the terrorist organization, security sources confirmed on October 27, adding that the cell had 50 cars equipped to explode, in addition to long-range precision missiles.

Extremists’ media platforms continued to carry out their activities despite the disappearance of the activity of ISIS’s terrorist media channels after the death of leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. A number of extremist figures continue to give their lessons, either in European mosques or via the internet.

Hani Al-Sibai, director of the Maqrizi Center for Historical Studies in London, who was sentenced to death in a terrorist case in Egypt, increased his activity during 2019, especially through Friday sermons in which he directs his attacks and incitement against countries in the Middle East and encourages terrorist operations in the region. In June, he delivered a sermon after the Libyan authorities handed over to Egypt the terrorist Hesham Ashmawy, who was accused of carrying out major terrorist operations in Egypt and Libya. In Sibai’s sermon, he defended Ashmawy and his terrorist colleagues.

Brotherhood

In contrast to the inactivity of armed groups, Islamic centers in Europe controlled by the terrorist Brotherhood are known to direct support to terrorist groups.

In Germany, which is the main hotbed for Brotherhood in Europe, the organization continues to present itself as a moderate group. However, the Islamic Center in Munich has significantly continued its activities during 2019 through courses targeting members of Germany’s Muslim community, and it sparked a wave of protests after the publication of a fatwa authorizing the use of beatings to deter and discipline one’s wife.

The Brotherhood is also active in North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany, where it has attempted to penetrate German education. Its last activity in this field was the Islamic Education Exhibition, which started on December 8, in the town of Hürth, near the city of Cologne.

Madkhalism

In Madkhalism, a Salafist current attributed to the Saudi preacher Rabee al-Madkhali, prohibits ousting rulers, demonstrations, and participating in elections. The movement’s followers are spread in large numbers throughout Europe, most notably in the Netherlands, Germany and the UK. The year 2019 witnessed remarkable activity for the movement, as it moved to Europe and began to appear on German radio.

The Madkhalist-affiliated education centers and mosques were very active during 2019, especially by offering seminars, but internal differences within the movement have increased over the past year among its figures in Algeria, Sudan and Saudi Arabia, which threatens its stability in Europe.