Overview

Also Known As:

Al-Ikhwan al-Muslimeen

Al-Ikhwan al-Muslimin

Gamaat al-Ikhwan al-Muslimin

Ikhwan

Muslim Brethren

Muslim Brothers

Society of Muslim Brothers

Executive Summary

The Muslim Brotherhood is a transnational Sunni Islamist movement that seeks to implement sharia (Islamic law) under a global caliphate. Founded in Egypt in 1928, the Brotherhood is that country’s oldest Islamist organization and has branches throughout the world. While these branches operate under a variety of names and use a variety of social, political, and occasionally violent methods, they share a commitment to the overarching goal of establishing rule according to sharia. The most notable and lethal Brotherhood offshoot is Hamas, the Palestinian terror group operating out of the Gaza Strip. Some analysts also argue that the Brotherhood has served as the ideological forerunner of modern violent Islamist groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS. The group has been labeled a terrorist organization by the governments of Bahrain, Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates.

Founded in 1928 by schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna in Ismailia, Egypt, the Brotherhood began as a pan-Islamist religious and social movement, building popular support through dawa (proselytization), political activism, and social welfare. Alongside its political and social activities, the Brotherhood operated an underground violent group—the “secret apparatus”—dedicated to the eradication of British rule in Egypt and of the Jewish presence in Palestine.

The Egyptian Brotherhood’s growth spurred the formation of affiliates in nearby countries such as Syria and Jordan. Dissemination of written works by Sayyid Qutb, one of the leading Brotherhood ideologues in the 1950s and 1960s, prompted further Brotherhood growth across the Arabian Peninsula, Palestinian territories, and Africa. As Zachary Laub of the Council on Foreign Relations writes, Qutb’s writings “provided the intellectual and theological underpinnings for many militant Sunni Islamist groups, including al-Qaeda and Hamas.” Indeed, Qutb’s writings helped inform the Islamist ideology known as Qutbism, which advocates violent jihad—and the killing of secular Muslims—in order to implement sharia.

The Brotherhood has survived in Egypt despite several waves of repression by the Egyptian government. Repressive measures have included legal prohibition of the group and imprisonment and execution of large numbers of Brotherhood members, including Qutb, whom the Egyptian government executed in 1966 for his part in the conspiracy to assassinate then-President Gamal Abdel Nasser. The Egyptian Brotherhood also benefitted from intermittent periods of toleration by the government, during which the group continued its social, religious, economic, and political activities, building up organizational strength unmatched by any other Egyptian opposition group. In addition, the group’s unofficial ideologue, Egyptian cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, has been unrestrained in delivering sermons and issuing militant fatwas (religious decrees) from his pulpit in Qatar.

As the Arab Spring came to a head in 2011, the Brotherhood’s resilience and robust infrastructure left it well placed to capitalize on shifting political landscapes in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa. Several Brotherhood chapters formed political parties and performed well in their respective countries’ elections, particularly in Egypt with the Freedom and Justice Party, which ran senior Brotherhood official Mohammed Morsi as its candidate for president. In Tunisia, Ennahdha won the first elections after former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s ouster.

Morsi served as president of Egypt between June 2012 and July 2013, though his government alienated much of the population due to perceptions that it governed poorly and overreached—including through the group’s attempts to rush through changes to the Egyptian constitution. In July 2013, after months of mass protests against the Brotherhood-led government, the Egyptian military overthrew Morsi and seized power, calling for new presidential and parliamentary elections and arresting Morsi and hundreds of Brotherhood officials and members on various charges. Egypt’s military-run government, led by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, has sought to uproot the Brotherhood entirely.

Since Morsi’s ouster, an ideological and strategic rift has widened between the Egyptian Brotherhood’s older and younger generations. While the older generation—known as the “old guard”—reiterates its platform of non-violence and hopes that the military regime will collapse due to economic decline or an internal coup, for example, the younger generation has adopted increasingly jihadist rhetoric and resorts to low-level violence in pursuit of the overthrow of the Sisi regime.

Ever since early 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump has considered designating the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. The U.S. government has examined a possible designation several times, and Trump recently reinvigorated debate surrounding the issue after meeting with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on April 9, 2019. In a private meeting, Sisi reportedly urged Trump to join Egypt in branding the movement as a terrorist organization. Following Sisi’s visit, the White House directed national security and diplomatic officials to investigate potential sanctions against the group. However, critics of the designation claim that the Brotherhood does not meet the legal criteria for the designation and that such a designation could complicate relations with countries where Brotherhood-linked groups have a role in politics and government. As of August 2020, the Muslim Brotherhood is still not designated as a terrorist organization. In August 2020, Egyptian authorities arrested the Brotherhood’s acting supreme guide, Mahmoud Ezzat. Ezzat had been the group’s acting supreme guide since the 2013 arrest of Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie. The imprisonment of both the Brotherhood’s supreme guide and acting supreme guide brings the Brotherhood’s future leadership into question.

Doctrine:

The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in 1928 to revive the caliphate, following the abolition of the Ottoman Empire by the Turkish Republic four years earlier. Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna rejected the phenomenon of Western-style nationalism and espoused an ideology of “pan-Islamic nationalism” in the hopes of bringing back the caliphate.

“Islam does not recognize geographical boundaries, nor does it acknowledge racial and blood differences, considering all Muslims as one Umma (global community of Muslims). The Muslim Brethren (Muslim Brotherhood)…. believe that the caliphate is a symbol of Islamic Union and an indication of the bonds between the nations of Islam. They see the caliphate and its re-establishment as a top priority...” –Hassan al-Banna

Banna was concerned with what he considered the greatest threat to Islam: the rise of secularism and Western culture in Muslim societies. To counter this danger, Banna began dawa (proselytization) in schools, mosques, and coffee houses, spreading his pan-Islamist ideology and emphasizing the need to return to sharia.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Brotherhood’s most notable theorist, Sayyid Qutb, promoted jihad as an offensive force to be used against secular Arab governments. Qutb argued that Muslim societies living under these governments existed in a state of jahiliyya, similar to Arabia’s pagan existence prior to the divine message of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. According to Qutb, this affliction could only be corrected by the implementation of sharia, brought about by offensive jihad and the killing of secular state officials. Indeed, Qutb helped to re-popularize the Islamic concept of takfir, by which Muslims serving a secular ruler are rendered apostates and thus legitimate targets for execution.

In the 1990s, the late Mohammad Ma’mun al-Hudaibi—who served as the Brotherhood’s supreme guide between 2002 and 2004—expounded upon the Brotherhood’s ideology in an interview with the Harvard International Review. Hudaibi stated that in a caliphate envisioned by the Brotherhood, daily life would be governed by Islamic teachings as interpreted by Islamic judges, with no need for a state’s rulers to impose man-made or “general laws.”

Hudaibi stressed that the holistic, Islam-centered caliphate was shattered by Western and Christian imperialism, including Britain’s rule over Egypt in the 19th and 20th centuries. While Muslim peoples eventually liberated themselves from Western rule, they were unable to reclaim the Islamic governance under which they had previously lived. Therefore, Hudaibi explained, in order to repair society after its purported deterioration into Western imperialism, “Movements of Islamic revival became active to spread the correct Islamic ideas and to demand the application of the rulings of the Islamic Shari’ah...” Among these movements was the Muslim Brotherhood. Since, according to the Brotherhood, the lack of holistic Islamic governance is the “problem,” the Brotherhood’s longstanding slogan has been that “Islam is the solution.”

Two Pillars

The Brotherhood has two pillars articulated by Hudaibi and published on the group’s website: 1) “The introduction of the Islamic Shari‘ah as the basis controlling the affairs of state and society” and 2) “Work to achieve unification among the Islamic countries and states, mainly among the Arab states, and liberating them from foreign imperialism.”

According to Hudaibi, the Brotherhood seeks to re-establish Islamic governance from the bottom up by building a “popular base that believes in the Islamic system and is aware of its main ideas.”

The Brotherhood has built this popular base through grassroots efforts, including not only political organizing and religious indoctrination but also, most notably in Egypt, provision of health care, education, and other social welfare goods and services that governments often fail to deliver satisfactorily. In Egypt and elsewhere, the Brotherhood has used this popular base to obtain increased political representation and power through democratic processes, despite the group’s ultimate political goal of un-democratic, Islamist rule.

The Brotherhood seeks to implement its vision in stages. Banna promoted the gradualist construction of the Muslim individual, the Muslim family, the Muslim community, and finally the Muslim government, or Islamic State, which Banna believed would bind all Muslims to God. Banna stressed that the Muslim Brotherhood was uninterested in revolutionary tactics, and instead operated with a slow and steady approach. Article 4, section 2 of the Brotherhood’s 1945 basic regulations stated, “The Brethren [Brothers] will always prefer gradual advancement and development.”

According to the Brotherhood’s official English website, Ikhwanweb, Banna would warn the Brotherhood members “who were looking for fast results that they would either have to learn to be patient and persevering or leave the movement.” Today, the Brotherhood is split between the old guard that champions this strategy, and the younger generation that has voiced and demonstrated its support for a revolutionary approach using violent means.

Organizational Structure:

The Brotherhood’s International Organization

The Brotherhood’s International Organization is reportedly comprised of the group’s global affiliates, which operate in at least 18 countries, including Egypt. Former Brotherhood Deputy Supreme Guide Mohamed Habib told Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahrar in 2008 that global Brotherhood affiliates share “the same ideology, principle, and objectives” as the Egyptian branch, but operate in a “decentraliz[ed]” fashion in order to respond to the unique challenges and contexts that each entity confronts. Brotherhood scholars suggest that the International Organization is loose and often ineffective, as domestic circumstances outweigh each affiliate’s loyalty to the larger global apparatus. In addition, there is believed to be little formal coordination between global affiliates.

There is disagreement as to the overall leader of the International Organization. While some reports name imprisoned Egyptian Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie as the Organization’s leader, others indicate that it is led by the London-based Ibrahim Mounir.

Organizational Structure in Egypt

The Egyptian Brotherhood’s leadership structure is hierarchical, designed to ensure each leader’s commitment and adherence to the group’s ideology, religious practice, and general beliefs. The supreme guide (murshid)—acting as the group’s primary governor—oversees the Guidance Office (maktab al-irshad), which consists of 15-20 members. Each member of the Guidance Office is responsible for overseeing an area of interest, such as education, politics, and recruitment.

The Shura Council—the next rung down in the leadership hierarchy—is reportedly comprised of 100 Brothers. It is responsible for electing the members of the Guidance Office and voting on issues such as Brotherhood participation in various facets of Egyptian life. In addition, each region operates an administrative council similar to the larger Shura Council. Regions are comprised of usras (families), which include approximately five Brothers.

Power Balance in Egypt

During Mohammed Morsi’s presidency from June 2012 to July 2013, Brotherhood Deputy Supreme Guide Khairat el-Shater and Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie—now both imprisoned—were believed to largely oversee Morsi’s political maneuvers and strategic decisions. For example, every proposal made by Morsi—down to every word—had to reportedly be approved by Shater. In addition, Morsi regularly greeted Badie by kissing his hand, a gesture common among Brotherhood members to show obedience to a more powerful leader.

Following Morsi’s July 2013 ouster, Sisi’s crackdown on the Brotherhood resulted in the imprisonment or execution of many of the group’s leaders and members. Those who managed to escape fled to Turkey and Qatar.

Without coherent leadership, the Brotherhood has grown increasingly factionalized. In particular, ideological and tactical rifts have widened between the movement’s older and younger generations. The Brotherhood’s youth have reportedly grown impatient with the old guard’s gradualist approach, and have called for revolutionary and violent tactics against Egyptian authorities. Younger members have carried out such violence, targeting authorities and infrastructure in small scale attacks including the use of Molotov cocktails, for example.

In February of 2014, the Egyptian Brotherhood held internal elections, replacing 65 percent of its older leaders overwhelmingly with younger, more revolutionary individuals. The elections led to the formation of the Crisis Management Committee—headed by Brotherhood member Mohamed Taha Wahdan—tasked with managing events on the ground in Egypt. Wahdan, loyal to the younger revolutionaries, is believed to have overseen the Brotherhood’s rank and file in Egypt before his May 2015 arrest. In April of 2015, Brotherhood members exiled in Istanbul created the Office for Egyptians Abroad—under the chairmanship of Brotherhood member Ahmed Abdel-Rahman—to organize the Brotherhood’s leaders in exile and strengthen the struggle against President Sisi’s military government.

As of 2016, the Brotherhood remains split between the old guard and the younger revolutionaries. The acting supreme guide, Mahmoud Ezzat, is a member of the old guard, though his leadership role is disputed by members of the younger generation. These members are also believed to hold important leadership positions.

Financing

During Morsi’s year-long presidency, the Muslim Brotherhood is believed to have received large sums of money from the Qatari government. Qatar reportedly loaned Morsi’s government approximately $2.5 billion, and aided Morsi’s regime with grants and so-called “energy supplies,” according to Reuters. Also during Morsi’s presidency, Qatar’s Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim bin Jaber Al Thani reportedly secretly transferred funds as high as $850,000 to the Brotherhood. Numerous transfers of money between Al Thani and top Brotherhood leaders reportedly occurred in early-mid 2013.

In addition to relying on outside funding, the Brotherhood owns valuable assets and sources of income in the countries in which it operates. In Egypt, the group collects taxes and fees from approximately 600,000 members, and many Brotherhood leaders own commercial enterprises such as supermarkets and furniture stores which largely profit the Brotherhood.

Western groups affiliated with the Brotherhood are believed to set up vast ‘charity’ and fundraising operations within their local Muslim communities, sending all collected money back to larger Brotherhood operations in Egypt and Syria. Other reports suggest that Muslim Brotherhood members living in Europe are often involved in money-laundering schemes launched to finance Brotherhood activities.

The government of Saudi Arabia financially supported the Brotherhood for decades but reduced its funding after the Brotherhood supported Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

Throughout its nearly nine-decade history, the Brotherhood has at times imposed jizya (a tax for non-Muslims) on Christians and other religious minorities.

Recruitment:

The Egyptian Brotherhood’s recruitment process is tailored to prevent security officials from penetrating the group. According to Eric Trager in Foreign Affairs, local Brotherhood leaders scout potential members “at virtually every Egyptian University.” The members approach potential recruits in a non-political context and engage in activities such as tutoring or soccer. Recruiters do not initially reveal themselves as Brotherhood members. According to Khaled Hamza, an editor of the Brotherhood’s English-language website, the recruitment process can last up to a year. Hamza notes, “We are an ideological grass-roots group, and we use our faith to pick members.” In some cases, children as young as nine are targeted as recruits. The children of Brotherhood members are often exposed to Brotherhood activities at an early age.

The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood expanded its recruitment activities amidst the chaos of the Syrian civil war, setting up recruitment offices and urging members living in large Syrian cities to return to local communities and reconnect with the people there. A Syrian Brotherhood member familiar with recruitment told the Carnegie Endowment in 2013, “[there is a] real thirst for the Muslim Brotherhood inside Syria.” The Syrian Brotherhood found success in recruiting members from rebel-held areas of Syria, especially in and near Aleppo.

Training:

Physical Training

Because the Muslim Brotherhood does not have a military arm, the group does not carry out military training. However, a 2012 piece in Der Spiegel quoted a former Brotherhood member as saying that there are training camps in Egypt that train Brotherhood members in “hand-to-hand combat,” a claim that the Brotherhood reportedly denies.

In 1940, the Egyptian Brotherhood launched Nizam al-Khass, or the “secret apparatus,” largely in response to the failure of the Arab uprising in Palestine (1936-1939). The military wing was composed of civilians with varying degrees of paramilitary training. It carried out numerous assassinations and bombings that concluded in the 1948 murder of Egyptian Prime Minister Mahmoud an-Nuqrashi Pasha, who had recently banned the Brotherhood. During the 1952 Egyptian revolution that brought Gamal Abdel Nasser to power, members of the secret apparatus blocked the infiltration of British troops into the Suez Canal zone and secured the highway between Cairo and Ismailia.

Ideological Training

The Egyptian Brotherhood’s ideological training process consists of a series of stages during which members’ philosophical beliefs are monitored, shaped, and tested. In the preliminary stage, which can last from six months to four years, Brotherhood members closely observe the new recruit’s ideology. The recruit is referred to as a muhibb, or “lover.”

If the muhibb’s ideology proves developed and sturdy, the muhibb enters an usra, or “family” of approximately four or five Brotherhood members. The usra meets once a week and serves to educate and strengthen the ideology of the muhibb. After graduating from the usra, the muhibb becomes a mu’ayyad, or “supporter,” a stage that lasts from one to three years. Although the mu’ayyad cannot yet vote within the Brotherhood structure, he can preach, teach in mosques, and recruit new muhibb-level candidates. A mu’ayyad also has the responsibility of studying Hassan al-Banna’s texts.

After graduating from the mu’ayyad stage, the member become a muntasib, or “affiliated” individual. After one year at muntasib status, the Brother graduates to become a muntazim, or “organizer.” The muntazim stage generally lasts one year, and the individual is responsible for forming usra groups as well as memorizing of the Quran. A muntazim is regularly presented with false accusations and information to test his loyalty under pressure. In the final stage, the muntazim becomes an akh-‘amil, “working brother,” and has the right to vote in Brotherhood elections and compete within the leadership hierarchy.

Key Leaders

History

Violent Activities

The Brotherhood and Brotherhood affiliates have engaged in violence against the ruling governments in Egypt, Syria, Israel, and the Palestinian territories. Since its inception, the Brotherhood’s ideology has authorized violent resistance against unjust and secular rulers. 1930s-1940s: Brotherhood violence is aimed towards Jewish Egyptians in reaction to Jewish presence in Palestine, as well as aggressive rioting, bombings, and assassinations towards British forces in Egypt. Brotherhood members fight jihad in Palestine. Hasan al-Banna introduces his philosophy called “The Art of Death,” reminding Brotherhood members of the Prophetic saying that “He who dies and has not fought and was not resolved to fight, has died a jahiliyya [non-Muslim, or ignorant] death.”

Brotherhood violence is aimed towards Jewish Egyptians in reaction to Jewish presence in Palestine, as well as aggressive rioting, bombings, and assassinations towards British forces in Egypt. Brotherhood members fight jihad in Palestine. Hasan al-Banna introduces his philosophy called “The Art of Death,” reminding Brotherhood members of the Prophetic saying that “He who dies and has not fought and was not resolved to fight, has died a jahiliyya [non-Muslim, or ignorant] death.” December 1948: Brotherhood members assassinate Egyptian Prime Minister Mahmud al-Nuqrashi.

Brotherhood members assassinate Egyptian Prime Minister Mahmud al-Nuqrashi. October 1954: Brotherhood members attempt and fail to assassinate President Gamal Abdel Nasser. The group continues to grow underground despite a heavy crackdown on the group.

Brotherhood members attempt and fail to assassinate President Gamal Abdel Nasser. The group continues to grow underground despite a heavy crackdown on the group. 1954-1966: The period of mien (ordeal) in which Nasser’s repression of the Brotherhood deeply radicalizes the group, prompting further violence, attempted assassinations, and terrorist plots.

The period of mien (ordeal) in which Nasser’s repression of the Brotherhood deeply radicalizes the group, prompting further violence, attempted assassinations, and terrorist plots. June 1979: The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria launches an attack during the Islamic uprising, killing 83 cadets at Aleppo Artillery School.

The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria launches an attack during the Islamic uprising, killing 83 cadets at Aleppo Artillery School. June 1980: During the Islamic uprising in Syria, Muslim Brotherhood members attempt to assassinate Hafez al-Assad using grenades and machine guns. They fail, and a government crackdown on the group results in many Brotherhood deaths.

During the Islamic uprising in Syria, Muslim Brotherhood members attempt to assassinate Hafez al-Assad using grenades and machine guns. They fail, and a government crackdown on the group results in many Brotherhood deaths. November 1981: The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria carries out three car-bomb attacks against military and government forces and infrastructure in Damascus, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people.

The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria carries out three car-bomb attacks against military and government forces and infrastructure in Damascus, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people. July 2013: Clashes erupt between Muslim Brotherhood protesters and Egyptian security officials following President Mohammed Morsi’s ouster.

Clashes erupt between Muslim Brotherhood protesters and Egyptian security officials following President Mohammed Morsi’s ouster. August 2013: The Brotherhood loots and burns Egyptian churches and police stations in response to the death of hundreds and imprisonment of thousands of members.

The Brotherhood loots and burns Egyptian churches and police stations in response to the death of hundreds and imprisonment of thousands of members. December 23, 2013: The Egyptian government blames the Brotherhood for an explosion that leaves 15 dead and hundreds wounded outside of a police station in the Nile Delta.

The Egyptian government blames the Brotherhood for an explosion that leaves 15 dead and hundreds wounded outside of a police station in the Nile Delta. December 24, 2013: The Egyptian government blames the Brotherhood for a car bombing outside a police building in the city of Mansoura.

The Egyptian government blames the Brotherhood for a car bombing outside a police building in the city of Mansoura. March 19, 2014: Brotherhood members shoot an Egyptian brigadier general and colonel in a continuing retaliation against security forces following the removal of Morsi from office.

Brotherhood members shoot an Egyptian brigadier general and colonel in a continuing retaliation against security forces following the removal of Morsi from office. May 20, 2014: Three police officers controlling a protest against the military-backed government are killed in a drive-by shooting by Muslim Brotherhood members.

Three police officers controlling a protest against the military-backed government are killed in a drive-by shooting by Muslim Brotherhood members. June 25, 2014: Five small bombs in Cairo are set off within two hours, injuring six. The Interior Ministry blames the Muslim Brotherhood.

Five small bombs in Cairo are set off within two hours, injuring six. The Interior Ministry blames the Muslim Brotherhood. June 30, 2014: Brotherhood members set off a bomb near the Presidential office in Cairo, killing two policemen.

Brotherhood members set off a bomb near the Presidential office in Cairo, killing two policemen. August 2, 2014: At least 11 Egyptian soldiers are killed in an attack by Sinai Islamists affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

At least 11 Egyptian soldiers are killed in an attack by Sinai Islamists affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. June 29, 2015: Brotherhood members backed by Hamas are behind the murder of Egyptian Public Prosecutor Hisham Barakat, according to Egyptian authorities.

Brotherhood members backed by Hamas are behind the murder of Egyptian Public Prosecutor Hisham Barakat, according to Egyptian authorities. January 7, 2016: Egyptian Brotherhood members and security forces exchange fire outside of a Cairo hotel.

Egyptian Brotherhood members and security forces exchange fire outside of a Cairo hotel. December 9, 2016: Hasm militants detonate a bomb on a main road in Cairo. The attack, considered the deadliest assault on Egyptian security forces in recent months, kills six policemen and injures three others.

Hasm militants detonate a bomb on a main road in Cairo. The attack, considered the deadliest assault on Egyptian security forces in recent months, kills six policemen and injures three others. October 1, 2017: A small explosion occurs at Myanmar’s embassy in Cairo. The attack is in retaliation for Myanmar’s military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims. There are no reports of casualties or injuries. Hasm, the alleged militant wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, is accused of carrying out the attack.

A small explosion occurs at Myanmar’s embassy in Cairo. The attack is in retaliation for Myanmar’s military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims. There are no reports of casualties or injuries. Hasm, the alleged militant wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, is accused of carrying out the attack. March 25, 2018: A bomb planted under a car detonates in Alexandria, Egypt right as the police Major General Mostafa al-Nemr drives past. Two policemen are killed and five others are wounded while Nemr sustains no injuries. It is suspected that the Muslim Brotherhood is behind the explosion given that the attack occurs two days before a contested presidential election.

A bomb planted under a car detonates in Alexandria, Egypt right as the police Major General Mostafa al-Nemr drives past. Two policemen are killed and five others are wounded while Nemr sustains no injuries. It is suspected that the Muslim Brotherhood is behind the explosion given that the attack occurs two days before a contested presidential election. May 19, 2019: Suspected Hasm militants plant a bomb that targets a tourist bus near the Giza Pyramids in Egypt. The explosion wounds 17 people.

Suspected Hasm militants plant a bomb that targets a tourist bus near the Giza Pyramids in Egypt. The explosion wounds 17 people. August 4, 2019: A rebel drives an explosives-filled car into central Cairo, damaging a cancer hospital. At least 20 people are killed. Hasm, a militant group with links to the Muslim Brotherhood, is suspected of carrying out the attack.

Designations

Designations by the U.S. Government: The U.S Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designates Harakat Sawa’id Misr (HASM) and Liwa al-Thawra, two Islamist groups active in Egypt with suspected ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, as specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) under Executive Order 13224 on January 31, 2018. Designations by Foreign Governments and International Organizations:

Bahrain designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization on March 21, 2014. Egypt designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization on December 25, 2013. On January 18, 2017, an Egyptian court adds former football star Mohamed Aboutrika to the country’s terror list under the suspicion that he financed the Muslim Brotherhood. On June 27, 2018, Egypt adds the names of 187 persons to its terror list over their alleged membership to the Hasm movement, a group that is suspected to be affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Russia banned the Muslim Brotherhood from operating inside Russia in 2003. Russia designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization on July 28, 2006.

Saudi Arabia designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization on March 7, 2014.

Syria designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization in 1980.

The United Arab Emirates designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization on November 15, 2014. On the same day, the United Arab Emirates designated several Brotherhood-affiliated groups in the West, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the International Islamic Relief Organization, the Muslim American Society (MAS), and the Union of Islamic Organizations of France.

Associations

Ties to Extremist Entities: As one of the oldest and broadest-reaching Islamist organizations in modern times, the Muslim Brotherhood has spawned Sunni Islamist entities which are now largely recognized as terrorist organizations. Al-Qaeda Muslim Brotherhood philosophy is believed to have spurred the creation of al-Qaeda. Sayyid Qutb’s ideology, expressed in his work Milestones, inspired Osama bin Laden, Abdullah Azzam, and others to found al-Qaeda. The current emir of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, joined the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt as a teenager. Hamas Hamas, the political Islamist organization in the Palestinian territories, is a nationalist offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Founded in 1988, article two of Hamas’s charter defines itself as “one of the wings of the Muslim Brothers in Palestine.” It continues, “The Muslim Brotherhood Movement is a world organization, the largest Islamic Movement in the modern era.” However, political realities on the ground have often dictated the strength of Hamas’s desired relationship to the Brotherhood. In March 2014, Hamas was banned by the Egyptian government as part of a larger crackdown on the Brotherhood. In response, Hamas weakened ties with the Brotherhood in the interest of strengthening its relationship with Egyptian authorities responsible for the Rafah border into Gaza, a lifeline upon which Gazans rely heavily. In March 2016, Egypt’s Interior Ministry accused Hamas of conspiring with the Muslim Brotherhood and coordinating the June 2015 assassination of Hisham Barakat, Egypt’s chief prosecutor, in a Cairo car bombing. Later that month, Hamas removed all pictures of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and any other signs of Muslim Brotherhood links from its Gaza offices. The move reportedly came after a meeting between Hamas leaders and Egypt officials who demanded Hamas renounce its links with the Brotherhood before Egypt would restore relations with Hamas. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri later denied any links between his group and the Muslim Brotherhood. In May 2017, Hamas released a new guiding political document, which made no mention of the Muslim Brotherhood. In July 2019, Khairat el-Shater, the Brotherhood’s supreme guide, denied charges of spying for Hamas following the 2013 coup that ousted then-president Mohamed Morsi. According to court documents, el-Shater said he was asked by the intelligence services during Morsi’s one-year tenure to meet Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh over border crossings talks. On September 11, 2019, imprisoned Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie and 10 other Brotherhood members were sentenced to life in prison on charges of spying in conjunction with Hamas. Holy Land Foundation In December 2001, the U.S. Treasury Department designated the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, then the largest Muslim charity based in the U.S., as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” group. U.S. authorities raided the group’s headquarters and seized its assets. In November 2008, five former leaders of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF), a Muslim charity based in the U.S., were found guilty by a U.S. court for facilitating the transfer of more than $12 million to Hamas. The U.S. government presented testimony during the trial. According to the FBI, “[I]n the early 1990’s, Hamas’ parent organization, the Muslim Brotherhood, planned to establish a network of organizations in the U.S. to spread a militant Islamist message and raise money for Hamas. The HLF became the chief fundraising arm for the Palestine Committee in the U.S. created by the Muslim Brotherhood to support Hamas.” Among the seized evidence presented by the U.S. government was an internal Brotherhood “Explanatory Memorandum On the General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America,” addressed to the members of the Brotherhood’s Shura Council, and dated May 22, 1991. The document articulated the Brotherhood’s goals for North America as, among others, “present[ing] Islam as a civilization alternative, and support[ing] the global Islamic State wherever it is.” The document also emphasized that to achieve these and other multi-stage goals, “the Movement must… carry out this grand mission as a ‘Civilization Jihadist’ responsibility which lies on the shoulders of Muslims and—on top of them—the Muslim Brotherhood in this country.” This meant that the Brotherhood’s “work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging’ its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God’s religion is made victorious over all other religions.” The document emphasized the importance of establishing an “Islamic Center” in each city as a base for the Brotherhood’s multifaceted work, as well as many other institutions that would serve as the foundation of the group’s jihad efforts in North America. The document also included a list of Brotherhood organizations and “the organizations of our friends,” which included prominent Muslim organizations in America, including the Islamic Society of North America, Muslim Students Association, North American Islamic Trust, and Islamic Circle of North America. Hasm Movement Hasm (“Decisiveness”) is an Egyptian militant group that emerged in 2014. Police suspect it is a violent wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, though the Brotherhood denies any ties to militant groups. Hasm has claimed it wants to end the “military occupation of Egypt by militias of (President) Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi.” Hasm has accused the Egyptian government of imprisoning thousands of innocent people which has incentivized the group to target security forces as well as carry out assassination attempts on public figures. Hasm claimed responsibility for a December 9, 2016, bombing that killed six police officers outside of Cairo. The group also claimed responsibility for an assassination attempt on a senior Egyptian prosecutor that September. As of December 2016, Hasm had claimed responsibility for at least half a dozen attacks since the group’s emergence that July. On September 30, 2017, Hasm claimed responsibility for a small explosion at Myanmar’s embassy in Cairo. It was the group’s first reported attack on a civilian target. There were no casualties. The group claimed the attack was in response to Myanmar’s military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims. In 2019, Hasm was responsible for two major explosions—one in May that killed 17 people near the Giza Pyramids, and one in August that damaged a cancer hospital and killed over 20 people. In January 2019, Egyptian authorities also arrested several Hasm members accused of planning to disrupt the January 25 anniversary of the revolution against Hosni Mubarak. According to the Interior Ministry, a Brotherhood member in Turkey had directed the local Hasm members. In January 2020, Egyptian authorities again accused Hasm of seeking to disrupt the anniversary of Mubarak’s overthrow by promoting fake news and spreading discord among Egyptians. The government arrested six Hasm members accused of plotting to “target important figures and buildings as well as places of worship” and organize protests on the anniversary later that month. Egypt again accused Brotherhood members in Turkey of orchestrating the plots and inciting the Egyptian public against the government. Ties to Other Entities: Qatar Qatar has long supported the Brotherhood through financial, public diplomacy and media-based pathways, with Qatar’s backing largely based on the entities’ similar interpretations of political Islam. The Qatar-owned satellite network Al Jazeera is often perceived as biased towards the Brotherhood. Qatar loaned Morsi’s government approximately $7.5 billion during the Brotherhood’s year in power. Qatar also reportedly aided Morsi’s regime with grants and “energy supplies,” according to Reuters. During Morsi’s presidency, funds as high as $850,000 were reportedly secretly transferred to the Brotherhood from Qatar’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani. Qatar refused to join suit as its Gulf neighbors labeled the Brotherhood a terrorist organization in 2013 and 2014. However, in mid-September 2014, top Muslim Brotherhood members claimed that they had been “asked to leave Qatar” as the small Arab country came under pressure from its neighbors to cut off support for the Brotherhood. Turkey Turkey has long been a hub for the Brotherhood’s international organization. Especially following President Morsi’s ouster, regrouping and logistical efforts to strengthen the international Brotherhood community were reportedly hosted by Istanbul. Turkey has also reportedly provided the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood with weaponry and intelligence. According to Mohammed Abdel Kader of the Saudi-based Al Arabiya Institute for Studies, Turkey’s support has highlighted “Erdogan’s ties with the Muslim Brotherhood…. and their mutual interest in restoring ‘the era of Islamic rule,’ seen by the Brotherhood as the basis for protecting ‘the Islamic nation.’” However, when Egyptian President el-Sisi took office, relations between Turkey and the Brotherhood weakened due to Turkey’s fear of alienation and reprisal from Egypt and the Gulf states. In May 2010, the Turkish humanitarian NGO the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) crewed a Turkish flotilla through international waters, edging the ships toward Gaza in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade and supply what it claims was humanitarian aid. The Israeli navy raided one of the ships, the Mavi Marmara, resulting in the death of nine IHH members onboard. A detailed report on the incident, published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, asserts that the IHH networked with and received financial support from the Turkish Muslim Brotherhood. According to the report, IHH and the Turkish Brotherhood were provided passengers for the flotilla from the global Muslim Brotherhood organization. Ties to Extremist Individuals: Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a longtime supporter of the international Muslim Brotherhood and a close ally of former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. Erdogan was a vocal opponent of Morsi’s removal from office and the Egyptian military regime that took his place, and has vouched for Morsi’s democratic intentions. In response to the military crackdown on Morsi supporters in Rabaa al-Adawiya Square in August 2013, Erdogan blamed the international community for Morsi’s removal, saying, “It is clear that the international community, by supporting the military coup and remaining silent over previous massacres instead of protecting democracy and constitutional legitimacy in Egypt, has encouraged the current administration to carry out [the crackdown on Rabaa al-Adawiya Square].” In public speeches, Erdogan has flashed the four-fingered “Rabia” hand salute, a Brotherhood symbol signifying resistance against the Egyptian security forces. In September 2014, amid the reported expulsion of Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leaders from Qatar, Erdogan appeared ready to grant Brotherhood leaders asylum. He told reporters, “If they file a request to move to Turkey we will assess their situation and they can move to Turkey if there is no reason to prevent their entry.” Erdogan’s government has close ideological ties to the Brotherhood. It has maintained warm relations with the Islamist group in hopes of sustaining and strengthening its influence in the region Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani Former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani has reportedly secretly transferred funds as high as $850,000 to Muslim Brotherhood leaders during Mohammed Morsi’s presidency. A document dated March 28, 2013 detailed the allocation of funds from Hamad bin Jassim to a “long list” of Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leaders.

Media Coverage

During the 2011 revolution that toppled Egypt’s Mubarak regime, Western media found they had to explain the Muslim Brotherhood to audiences...

Al Jazeera quickly cemented itself as the Arab media champion of Egypt’s revolution, earning adulation from the masses and ire from Mubarak...

While Al Jazeera gave prominent airtime to al-Qaradawi and other Islamists affiliated with the Brotherhood, numerous Saudi-owned papers took the...

As Egyptians took to the streets in protest of Mubarak, the United States and Israel initially held back support for the protests against their ally...

Rhetoric