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. National constitutions and societal values, he argued, will constrain political excesses. He spoke three days ago at a high-level meeting on dialogue and social cohesion, attended by political figures and representatives of religious communities and civil society.
The timing carries weight. Al-Issa's visit followed the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, finishing first in state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in September. France is due to hold a presidential election in 2027. Parliamentary elections are expected in Italy, Poland and Greece.
A Reassurance From Mecca
The Muslim World League was established in 1962, 64 years ago. It is a Mecca-based Islamic organisation that describes its mission as promoting Islam, tolerance and friendship among peoples. Al-Issa framed his message around dialogue. “Dialogue is the language of reason and wisdom,” he said, adding that resolving conflicts required sincere intentions and effective leadership.
On Europe's political mood, he was direct. “As for talk of a hardline right emerging in some European countries, we are generally not worried. Each European country has a civilised constitution that no one can override. There are also societal values that everyone must respect,” he said. “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 be challenged before constitutional courts. In other countries, he said, similar questions had turned out as he hoped when constitutional oversight and an active public conscience were present.
Rome's Face-Covering Decree
Al-Issa's comments came amid a live European argument over religious clothing. Italy's government has approved a decree banning face coverings during school activities. The decree allows exceptions for certified medical reasons and educational activities.
The decree doesn't explicitly mention the burqa or niqab. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni did refer to both when announcing it. In Italy, she said, “no one should force a girl to hide herself”.
Al-Issa called for respect for religious practices within the framework of national constitutions. “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.”
His formula puts the national constitution at the centre. Each country's democratic process decides the content of its rules, including a school-dress decree like Rome's.
Why This Matters: Al-Issa's argument rests on national constitutions and courts as the safeguard, not on any supranational authority. That fits a view that European democracies settle contested questions at home, through their own institutions and elections. The AfD's first-place finishes in two German states, and the elections due in France, Italy, Poland and Greece, show those questions are already before voters. Italy's school decree shows a government acting on religious dress through national law. On this reading, public trust depends on governments deciding such questions openly, within their constitutions, and answering to voters at the ballot box. Reassurance from abroad isn't a substitute for that. Whether voters see the constitutional safeguards Al-Issa describes working in practice is a matter each country will answer for itself.