Muslim Brotherhood (MB)


Other names: Al Ikhwan, Al Ikhwan Al Muslimeen, Ikhwan, Muslim Brothers

الإخوان المسلمين


Key People

Official Members:

  • Hassan Al Banna: Founder

  • Sayyid Ibrahim Hussein Qutb: Leading member in the mid-20th century

  • Mohammed Morsi: President of Egypt (2011-2012)

Influencers:

Supporters:

  • Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: President of Turkey

  • Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani: Ruler of Qatar

Financiers:

Ideologues:

  • Yusuf Al Qaradawi: Ideologue and unofficial ideological chief 


About

Organisation Ideology: Pan-Islamist, Jihadist (some outfits), Islamic Supremacism, 

Online resources: https://www.ikhwanweb.com/ (official English website of the MB)

Social Media: Ikhwanweb (Official and verified English Twitter account for the MB)

Overview:

The Muslim Brotherhood is a transnational political organisation tracing its roots to Egypt in 1928, and with current outfits and affiliates across the majority of Arab countries in the form of political parties -  whether outlawed or currently holding seats in parliament. The Muslim Brotherhood was founded by Hassan Al Banna, a schoolteacher working in the town of Ismailia in Egypt in 1928. Al Banna argued that an Islamic religious revival would allow Muslim countries to shake off colonial rule and catch up with western countries with respect to economic prosperity and military power. Al Banna however contradicted himself about what Islamic rule based on the Brotherhood’s image would look like. 

Today, many political parties, social service organisations and charitable institutions and NGO’s trace their lineage back to the Muslim Brotherhood, despite many not adopting the ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ name as part of their organisation. These organisations are found in every corner of the world, with some designated as terror organisations by numerous countries, and many others recognised as political parties or charitable organisations in countries that are allied to the US. 

In the Middle East, Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated groups operate in the following countries:

  • Algeria

  • Bahrain

  • Iraq

  • Jordan: The Islamic Action Front political party, which continues to field candidates in the Kingdom’s parliamentary elections

  • Kuwait

  • Libya

  • Morocco

  • Palestine: Hamas, the ruler of the Gaza Strip

  • Qatar: Regional supporter of MB groups and affiliates across the MENA region)

  • Saudi Arabia

  • Somalia

  • Sudan

  • Syria

  • Tunisia: The Ennahda political party

  • Turkey: Along with Qatar, Turkey’s Justice and Development Party AKP is a key regional supporter of the MB

  • United Arab Emirates; and 

  • Yemen.


Ties to Violence

In the 1940’s, under the British-backed monarchy of King Farouk of Egypt, the Egyptian MB was one of several groups to create a paramilitary wing. 

The following is a timeline of the group’s violent activities by country.

Egypt:

  • 1948: A 23-year old student belonging to the group assassinated the prime minister of Egypt, Mahmoud El Nokrashy Pasha - who had become concerned by the group and directly outlawed them. Shortly thereafter, a member of the MB was arrested for attempting to bomb a courthouse.

  • 1954: Members of the Egyptian MB attempt to assassinate Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. The attempt fails.

  • 1960’s: The MB resorts to attacks, attempted assassinations and terror plots in response to a heavy crackdown by the Egyptian government.

  • 2013: Following the ouster of MB leader - and president of Egypt- Mohammed Morsi, Egyptian MB members burn and loot seven churches and kill 40 policemen in response to the deaths of hundreds of MB members and the imprisonment of thousands during clashes between Islamists and the government of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.

Syria:

  • 1979: The Syrian MB launches an attack on Syrian army cadets in June, killing 83.

  • 1980: During the Islamist uprising in Syria, MB members attempt to assassinate Syrian President Hafez Al Assad. The Syrian government’s retaliation results in many deaths, and the concomitant weakening of the Syrian MB, in addition to being labelled as a terror organisation by Damascus. 

  • 1981: The Syrian MB launches attacks against Syrian military and civilian infrastructure, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people.


Ties to Extremism

Although many commentators, experts, observers and policymakers disagree on whether the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered a terrorist organisation or not, the group, and many of its global affiliates, whether they are Islamist political parties, organisations, insitutions or individuals have incited hatred in the name of religion, promoted division, vilified minorities and in some cases, carried out terrorist attacks. Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the unofficial chief ideologue of the MB has repeatedly targeted religious minorities including Alawites and Jews, promoting violence against them, and calling for Jihad in Syria. Qardawi had also previously stated that suicide bombing in Iraq is a duty for all Muslims. Qaradawi maintains a large following, and is currently based in Qatar where he is supported by the Qatari ruling family. Qatar and Turkey are both regional allies that have largely hedged their bets on the MB and political Islamist groups across the region since the beginning of the Arab Spring.  

Despite the MB not being a monolith, and with many different affiliates across various countries, the organisation’s established Islamist ideology dating back from the 1920’s has produced charity and welfare organisations, NGO’s, political parties, and extremist organisations that have spawned off and become even more radical - often denouncing the MB’s lack of violence. Ayman Al Zawahiri, the current general Emir of Al Qaeda was a former MB member. Sayyid Qutb, one of the most prominent Islamists and arguably the most influential MB thinker of the past century called for violence and physical force to overthrow governments that do not conform to Islamic law, in addition to dismissing all non-Muslim culture, and even Muslim history and culture as ‘un-Islamic’. 

The Islamist ideology of the MB has acted as a conveyor belt towards further radicalisation and extremism for many individuals - exemplified by the trajectory of Ayman Al Zawahiri’s evolution towards violent Jihadism following his early years as a member of the MB. Many affiliates of the organisation also have the added advantage of posing as democratic and opposed to non-violence whilst simultaneously preaching their version of Islamic supremacism, and intolerance towards those who oppose Islamic-based rule. 

Today, the MB’s influence over its regional and global affiliates and offshoots has significantly diminished, as has its ability to participate politically in many countries across the region, most notably Egypt - the birthplace of the organisation and many of its most notable leaders. The organisation in the past decade has faced a significant existential crisis in many of its traditional strongholds, including Egypt, Syria and parts of the GCC. The waning influence of the MB has by no means diminished the ideology of political Islamism, but the organisation's regional and global reach has been significantly compromised as a result of the events that have unfolded across the Middle East in the past decade.

 

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