On 27 December 2025, Italian authorities in Genoa and Milan arrested nine individuals, including Mohammad Hannoun, president of the Palestinian Association in Italy, on suspicion of diverting about €7 million raised through charities to fund Hamas. Anti-terror and anti-mafia units seized over €8 million in assets and coordinated with EU partners after detecting suspicious financial transactions.
In this report, we take a look at 30 incidents across Europe in 2025 involving Islamist extremism, security threats, legal actions, and state responses, based on open-source reporting. It documents how authorities and societies addressed radicalisation, terrorism, integration tensions, and public order.
#1 Italy Arrests Nine for Alleged Hamas Funding – 27 December 2025 – Genoa & Milan, Italy
Italian anti-terror and anti-mafia police arrested nine individuals, including Mohammad Hannoun, president of the Palestinian Association in Italy, on suspicion of diverting approximately €7 million raised through charities to fund Hamas. Investigators said the funds were collected under the pretext of humanitarian aid. Authorities seized assets worth over €8 million and coordinated with European Union partners after detecting suspicious financial transactions.
#2 Christmas Market Car-Ramming Plot Foiled in Germany – 13 December 2025 – Bavaria, Germany
German authorities arrested five men suspected of planning a vehicle-ramming attack at a Christmas market. Prosecutors stated that a 56-year-old Egyptian national called for the attack, while three Moroccan suspects agreed to carry it out and a Syrian national encouraged them. The plot aimed to kill or injure as many people as possible. Officials cited an Islamist motive and confirmed that all suspects were produced before a magistrate and remanded in custody.
#3 UK Jails Man for Qur’an Desecration – 12 December 2025 – Leeds, United Kingdom
A 36-year-old man was arrested and jailed after allegedly desecrating a Qur’an and a framed chapter of the text in an interfaith room at St James’s University Hospital. Authorities treated the act as criminal damage. Hospital officials and police condemned the incident as unacceptable.
#4 UK Teacher Banned Over Religious Remarks – 9 December 2025 – London, United Kingdom
A primary school teacher was banned from working with children after telling a Muslim pupil that “Britain is still a Christian state” and reprimanding students for washing their feet in school sinks, citing school rules. Safeguarding authorities ruled that the comments caused emotional harm.
#5 Belgium Compensates Former Al-Qaeda Terrorist – 16 November 2025 – Limburg, Belgium
Belgium paid €350,000 to Nizar Trabelsi, a former Tunisian footballer convicted in Belgium for plotting a suicide attack on a NATO air base, after a court ruled his extradition to the United States was illegal. Trabelsi had been sentenced to 10 years in Belgium.
#6 Belgium Arrests Three in Alleged Plot Against PM – 14 November 2025 – Antwerp, Belgium
Belgian police arrested three suspects over an alleged jihadist plot targeting the prime minister. Authorities recovered an improvised explosive device, steel ball bearings, and a 3D printer, raising concerns about a drone-based attack. The suspects were taken into custody as investigators assessed the scale and intent of the planned operation.
#7 Belgian Court Convicts Jihadist for Yazidi Genocide – 13 November 2025 – Brussels, Belgium
A Brussels court convicted Sammy Djedou of genocide and crimes against humanity for his role in ISIS’s campaign against the Yazidis. Prosecuted in absentia, Djedou was also convicted of rape and sexual enslavement. The ruling marked Belgium’s first genocide conviction linked to ISIS crimes against Yazidis.
#8 Afghan Man Arrested for Plot Against Jews – 5 November 2025 – Denmark
Danish authorities arrested Tawab M. for allegedly conspiring to supply weapons for attacks on Jewish targets in Germany. Investigators said he coordinated with a Danish citizen involved in intelligence gathering on Jewish individuals and institutions in Berlin. The arrest followed cross-border intelligence cooperation.
#9 Car Attack While Shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ – 5 November 2025 – Île d’Oléron, France
A 35-year-old man, identified as Yasin B, rammed his car into pedestrians and cyclists, injuring 10 people while shouting “Allahu Akbar.” After the impact, he attempted to detonate a gas cylinder inside the vehicle. Authorities confirmed the act was deliberate and launched terrorism-related investigations.
#10 Asylum Seeker Sexually Assaults Woman in Cardiff – 31 October 2025 – Wales, United Kingdom
Fawaz Alsamaou followed a woman from a nightclub and strangled and sexually assaulted her under a railway bridge in Cardiff. The victim resisted and alerted police. Alsamaou admitted to intentional strangulation and sexual assault and was sentenced to prison.
#11 Arrest Over ISIS-K Propaganda – 31 October 2025 – Paris, France
French intelligence arrested Ataullah A., a 20-year-old Afghan national, for raising funds and spreading ISIS-K propaganda online. Authorities said he used TikTok and other platforms to recruit and communicate with ISIS commanders in Afghanistan. He had been under surveillance by DGSI for months.
#12 London Hillingdon Stabbing – 27 October 2025 – London, United Kingdom
Afghan national Safi Dawood stabbed three people in Uxbridge, killing 49-year-old Wayne Broadhurst and injuring two others, including a 14-year-old. Dawood had entered the UK illegally in 2020 and was granted temporary stay until 2022. He was arrested at the scene.
#13 Paris Bus Attack Attempt – 21 October 2025 – Paris, France
Fatima S., a 40-year-old woman, shouted “Allahu Akbar” and attempted to seize a bus steering wheel, trying to crash the vehicle with passengers onboard. Police said she was already on radicalisation watchlists. Passenger intervention prevented a major accident.
#14 UK Arrests Pro-Palestinian Protesters – 15 October 2025 – United Kingdom
Police arrested numerous protesters, including elderly demonstrators and clergy, opposing the ban on Palestine Action. Authorities classified support for the group as a terrorism-related offence.
#15 UK Appoints First Muslim Woman Home Secretary – 5 September 2025 – United Kingdom
Shabana Mahmood was appointed Home Secretary, becoming the first Muslim woman to oversee immigration, policing, and national security. The appointment drew political debate over representation and policy direction.
#16 Austria Allows Sharia Arbitration – 23 August 2025 – Vienna, Austria
A Vienna court upheld a Sharia-based arbitration agreement between two Muslim men, ruling it did not violate public order. Critics warned of parallel legal systems, while supporters cited contractual freedom.
#17 Belgium Moves to Ban Extremist Groups – 27 July 2025 – Belgium
Belgium introduced legislation enabling the government to ban groups deemed threats to democracy, including organisations linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and Samidoun.
#18 Denmark Reaffirms Burqa Ban – 2 July 2025 – Denmark
Denmark reaffirmed its public burqa and niqab ban and proposed extending it to educational institutions. The prime minister urged cultural adaptation, stating democracy must take precedence.
#19 Denmark to Remove University Prayer Rooms – 5 June 2025 – Denmark
The Danish government announced plans to extend the veil ban to schools and remove prayer rooms from universities, citing concerns over social control and oppression.
#20 Islamist Stabbing at German Football Bar – 19 May 2025 – Bielefeld, Germany
Syrian refugee Mahmoud Mhamed stabbed five people at a football bar using knives and a handmade spear. Authorities confirmed an Islamist motive and links to ISIS ideology.
#21 Vienna School Demographic Shift – 18 April 2025 – Vienna, Austria
Data showed Muslim students comprised 41.2% of Vienna’s elementary schools, surpassing Christians. Critics cited integration and language challenges.
#22 Austrian Teen Killed in Islamist Attack – 16 February 2025- Villach, Austria
A Syrian asylum seeker stabbed a 14-year-old boy to death and injured five others. Police found an ISIS flag at his residence. The victims included two 15-year-olds and three adults aged 28 to 36.
#23 Munich Car Attack – 13 February 2025 – Munich, Germany
Afghan refugee Farhad Noori rammed a car into a trade-union protest, killing a woman and her child. He confessed and shouted “Allahu Akbar.”
#24 UK Grooming Gang Fallout – 3 February 2025 – Rotherham, UK
Revisiting the Jay Report, victims described long-term abuse by grooming gangs and failures by authorities.
#25 Sweden Convicts Qur’an Desecrator – 3 February 2025- Stockholm, Sweden
A court convicted Salwan Najem for Qur’an desecration during protests, ruling his actions went beyond lawful criticism.
#26 Austria: ISIS Allegiance Murder Case – 24 January 2025 – Villach, Austria
Mohammed Ahmed stabbed a teenager to death and injured 5 others. Villach police found an Islamic State (IS) flag in his apartment, and he had also sworn allegiance to the terrorist organization. Police arrested the suspect, Mohammed A., at the scene and charged him with murder and attempted murder.
#27 Germany Park Stabbing – 22 January 2025 – Bavaria, Germany
A 28-year-old Afghan national, Enamullah Omarzai, attacked a group of kindergarten children walking in the park with a kitchen knife. A 2-year-old Moroccan boy was killed in the attack. A 41-year-old German man who intervened to save the children was also stabbed by the attacker, resulting in his death. A 2-year-old Syrian girl and two other people were seriously injured in the attack. Aschaffenburg police arrested the fleeing suspect within 12 minutes. He was a rejected refugee.
#28 Sweden Accuses Iran of Proxy Attacks – 16 January 2025 – Sweden
The Swedish Prime Minister accused Iran of using violent criminal gangs to carry out serious attacks within Sweden, including shootings and grenade detonations, calling it a form of hybrid threat and urging readiness for conflict. He warned these gangs act with Iranian backing and stressed that peace requires freedom and absence of such attacks, reflecting rising tensions and security concerns in the country.
#29 Greece Arrests Pakistani Murder Suspect – 10 January 2025 – Larissa, Greece
Police arrested Ahsan, 30-year-old Pakistani national in the Netherlands and extradited him to Greece after he had been on the run for over two years for the murder of his 35-year-old Greek live in partner Ioanna in September 2022.
#30 Switzerland Implements Burqa Ban – 1 January 2025 – Switzerland
Switzerland’s law banning face coverings in public, widely known as the “burqa ban,” officially came into effect in January 2025, prohibiting the covering of the nose, mouth, and eyes in public spaces and publicly accessible buildings, with fines up to 1,000 Swiss francs for violators. The law was approved by Swiss voters in a 2021 referendum and aims to restrict all facial concealment, including burqas and niqabs, though it allows exceptions for health, safety, weather, places of worship, and other specific cases.
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