A proposal denouncing Sharia law’s presence in European Muslim communities and calling for its outright ban across the EU hit a wall in Brussels. The motion, introduced by French MEP Matthieu Valet (RN/PfE), also urged the European Commission to stop promoting cultures that fail to uphold gender equality. But for many in the EU Parliament, this stance went too far.
Speaking in Strasbourg, Valet didn’t hold back, accusing Parliament of sidestepping a critical issue. “Are you so afraid of fundamentalists that you won’t even let representatives discuss this openly?” he challenged. He warned that groups like the Muslim Brotherhood are pushing political Islam to undermine European laws.
While the motion on Sharia law failed, another amendment condemning Iran’s brutal oppression of women narrowly passed by just eight votes—despite fierce resistance from leftist parties. The amendment cited the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, who was killed by Iran’s morality police in 2022 for not wearing a hijab, and recognized Tehran’s ongoing crackdown on the Women, Life, Freedom movement.
Meanwhile, an earlier amendment urging the EU Commission to stop funding campaigns that promote the Islamic veil also succeeded. This came after past controversies, including a 2021 Brussels campaign declaring, “Beauty is in diversity, as freedom is in hijab.” Predictably, the Left rejected this measure too.
At this point, the European Left’s priorities seem clear—when forced to choose between women’s rights and appeasing Islamists, they’ve made their decision.
