(ZENIT News / Brussels, 04.28.2025).- A storm of controversy is brewing in Brussels after revelations that the European Union has funneled nearly €10 million into a long-term academic initiative centered on the historical influence of the Quran in Europe — a project now facing scrutiny for its alleged connections to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The “European Qur’an” (EuQu) project, launched in 2019 with funding from the European Research Council (ERC), was meant to explore how the Quran was translated, interpreted, and used in Europe between 1150 and 1850. With its ambitious seven-year timeline and participation from scholars at top institutions across Europe, including universities in Nantes, Copenhagen, and Naples, the project has presented itself as an exercise in cultural and historical scholarship.
But critics are raising alarms that the initiative, far from being a neutral academic inquiry, may instead be advancing a politicized, Islamocentric vision of European history — one that downplays or reframes the continent’s Christian foundations. French Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Céline Imart and Fabrice Leggeri have formally challenged the project’s legitimacy, submitting a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen demanding accountability for the generous funding.
Speaking to «Le Figaro», Leggeri — a former director of the EU’s border agency Frontex and current MEP for Rassemblement National — described the grant as “exceptionally large” by EU standards and questioned the scientific and ethical benchmarks used to justify it. “Most projects receive far less,” he noted, suggesting that the EuQu initiative reflects a deeper ideological agenda rather than pure scholarly merit.
The project’s intellectual leader, Professor John Tolan of the University of Nantes, is well-known for his work on interfaith relations and has publicly discussed the portrayal of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad in medieval European thought. But media investigations, including one by “Journal du Dimanche”, have pointed to Tolan’s collaborations with organizations suspected of affiliations with the Muslim Brotherhood, such as “Musulmans de France” and the “Institut Européen des Sciences Humaines”. One co-researcher, Naima Afif, has authored a sympathetic biography of Hassan al-Banna, the Brotherhood’s founder.
Critics argue that this background raises red flags about the ideological neutrality of the project. According to Leggeri, initiatives like EuQu risk promoting a narrative in which Islam is not only presented as integral to European history, but as a formative force on par with — or even superior to — Christianity. “We’re witnessing the erosion of our cultural heritage,” he warned, “as EU institutions quietly fund efforts that reframe Europe’s story through the lens of Islamic contribution.”
This controversy emerges at a time when several European governments — including France and Poland — are themselves embroiled in debates over national identity, secularism, and the preservation of Christian heritage. Leggeri and his allies fear that projects like EuQu, backed by generous EU grants under the banner of academic excellence, are being used to shift the cultural compass of Europe without public debate.
For its part, the European Commission has yet to issue a detailed response. Ursula von der Leyen is expected to address the concerns raised in the MEPs’ letter within the next five weeks. Until then, the controversy continues to feed broader anxieties across the EU over migration, integration, and the ideological direction of publicly funded research.
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