Is George Soros really funding the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe?

This is not one of the many conspiracy theories on George Soros and his Open Society Foundations (OSF). This article focuses on the concept of reflexibility so dear to Soros, and how some philanthropic ventures he finances might dangerously affect markets.

Reflexibility refers to the circular relations between two realities: objective realities (the underlying trend that prevails in reality regardless of our opinions) and subjective realities (misconceptions about the real trend). What we think of reality (a distorted view of it) affects it, moves markets, and produces winners and losers.

The annual reports of OSF and Open Society Initiative for Europe (OSIE) indicate that they have been funding at least six Muslim Brotherhood-linked groups. They also financed several pro-LGTB platforms. This is quite odd, a bit like supporting both Pussy Riots and the Opus Dei.

Really? Absolutely. Only two of the OSIE grantees have been managed by women: Helena Hummasten (Ibn Rushd), Noura Jaballah and Lamia El Amri (European Forum of Muslim Women). More precisely, they are managed by women whose admittance to power goes via a man. A third Muslim Brotherhood-linked grantee of OSIE, the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) also had a notorious board member: Intisar Kherigi. Again, she happens to be the daughter of Rachid al-Ghannouchi, co-founder of the Ennahdha Party — the Tunisian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Not exactly some liberal Muslims.

Do they struggle for an open society? This might be harder to prove than many conspiracy theories. In 2015, Helena Hummasten’s son-in-law, Munir Awad, was condemned in Denmark to 12 years in prison for terrorism. Intisar Kherigi has a very democratic father who attended the funeral of his dear friend of Hassan Al Turabi — a peer Islamic leader who granted a safe place to Osama Bin Laden and Carlos the Jackal. In order to unveil the real trend, these grantees would rather be called “Terrorists for Human Rights”.

Soros wrote once that “Ideologies which claim to be in possession of the ultimate truth are making a false claim, therefore, they can be imposed on society only by force.” So, why is he financing the Muslim Brotherhood? Is he appealed by its motto: “The Prophet is our leader. The Qur’an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.”?

Getting back to reflexibility, let’s see the consequence of Soros’ apparent contradictions. He is financing several causes: pro-LGBT, pro-Immigration, pro-Roma policies, and the criminalisation of Islamophobia (mainly supported by Muslim Brotherhood-linked groups). Subjectively, OSF and OSIE are purportedly contributing to a more equal society. Objectively, he is financing opposite views. Some are very liberal but some very conservative.

This apparent contradiction has a common denominator: it supports all subjects (legitimate and not) that irritate (and boost) the right-wing political parties in Europe and in the United States. Therefore, the underlying trend fed by his philanthropic ventures consist of an increasing political polarisation of the civil society in the West. Something like the 1930s reloaded.

Is this a source of potentially fantastic trades? Just a theory to be tested.

EFOMW co-founder Lamia El Amri and her husband Temmam Asbai showing their support for the Muslim Brothers.