Sheikh Dr Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, told an audience in Brussels on Friday that Europe is “generally not worried” about the rise of the hardline right. He said national constitutions and shared societal values would keep political excesses in check.
Al-Issa spoke at a high-level meeting on dialogue and social cohesion, meeting political figures and representatives of religious communities and civil society. The Mecca-based organisation, founded in 1962, describes its mission as promoting Islam, tolerance and friendship among peoples.
A Visit Shaped by the Ballot Box
The timing matters. Al-Issa arrived in Brussels after the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, finished first in state elections in both Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in September. More votes are coming. France is due to hold a presidential election in 2027, while parliamentary elections are expected in Italy, Poland and Greece.
Al-Issa didn’t treat those results as a warning. “Each European country has a civilised constitution that no one can override,” he said. “There are also societal values that everyone must respect.” He added: “Any departure from the constitution and these civilised societal values will prompt society to speak out and put things right.”
He also pointed to the courts. Legislation, he noted, could face challenges before constitutional courts. He said similar questions in other countries had turned out as he hoped when constitutional oversight and an active public conscience were present.
Dialogue, and Its Limits
“Of course, we always believe in dialogue and place great faith in it,” Al-Issa said. He called dialogue “the language of reason and wisdom.” Resolving conflicts, he said, required sincere intentions and effective leadership.
His call to respect religious practice came amid a live argument over religious clothing in Europe. Italy’s government has approved a decree banning face coverings during school activities, with exceptions for certified medical reasons and educational activities. The decree doesn’t explicitly mention the burqa or niqab, though Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni referred to both when she announced it. In Italy, she said, “no one should force a girl to hide herself”.
Al-Issa framed religious practice in constitutional terms. “We always call for respect for each religion’s distinctive practices, provided they do not conflict with the constitution,” he said. “There is no doubt that civilised constitutions, particularly European ones, respect those practices and the observance of religious rituals.”
Why This Matters: Al-Issa’s confidence rests on constitutional courts, European institutions and an active public. Those safeguards work only when people use them. That’s where civil society groups, religious communities and political leaders come in. The Brussels meeting brought several of those actors into one room. Meanwhile, the AfD has finished first in two German state elections, and voters in France, Italy, Poland and Greece are due to go to the polls. Italy’s school decree shows how quickly questions of religious practice turn into law. From a social democratic perspective, the test is whether the constitutional protections Al-Issa cites are defended in practice, and whether Muslim communities are heard when decisions that affect them are made.