“For more than 30 years, Muslim Brotherhood associated movements and parties have been a force for democratization and stability in the Middle East.” Professor John Esposito, the Director of the Bridge Initiative, made this remark in a submission to the House Judiciary Committee, when asked to provide evidence concerning the proposed bill to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
Here are five reasons his claim is false and the Muslim Brotherhood should be listed as a terrorist organization.
Its stated goal is the establishment of an Islamic State
According to the original bylaws of the Muslim Brotherhood, the stated goal of the organization is the restoration of an Islamic state as a system of government ruled in accordance with sharia.
Article 2:E of the bylaws, as posted on the Muslim Brotherhood’s English-language website as recently as 2011 and recorded by the Investigative Project on Terrorism reads “The need to work on establishing the Islamic State, which seeks to effectively implement the provisions of Islam and its teachings. Defend the nation against the internal enemies, try to present the true teachings of Islam and communicate its ideas to the world.”
In 2012, when Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi was running for president, his candidacy was launched at a rally at which the man introducing him, Safwat Higazi, declared “We can see how the dream of the Islamic Caliphate is being realized, Allah willing, by Dr. Mohamed Morsi and his brothers, his supporters, and his political party.” Translation by MEMRI.
The Terrorist Group Hamas is a Muslim-Brotherhood Affiliate
Hamas was founded in 1987 out of the Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza.
Article Two of the Hamas Charter reads “The Islamic Resistance Movement is one of the wings of Moslem Brotherhood in Palestine. Moslem Brotherhood Movement is a universal organization which constitutes the largest Islamic movement in modern times.
It is characterised by its deep understanding, accurate comprehension and its complete embrace of all Islamic concepts of all aspects of life, culture, creed, politics, economics, education, society, justice and judgement, the spreading of Islam, education, art, information, science of the occult and conversion to Islam.”
Article 13 of the Hamas Charter reads “There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad.”
Hamas has carried out and continues to carry out many terrorist attacks against Israeli soil.
Given the Muslim Brotherhood more broadly has never rejected this connection, any Muslim Brotherhoodgroup anywhere in the world is connected to Hamas unless it specifically disavows the group.
The Muslim Brotherhood Has a Doctrine Of Gradualism
Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the Muslim Brotherhood’s spiritual leader, said when discussing the eventual introduction of the brutal hudud punishments mandated under sharia governance, that they should be introduced gradually when the people were ready.
Of Muslim Brotherhood rule in Egypt he said “there should be no chopping off of hands in the first five years.”
This commitment to gradually implementing the full program shows that even Brotherhood affiliates that nominally support more progressive policies may later change to support more hardline stances once in power.
Muslim-Brotherhood-Linked Groups Like CAIR Were Implicated in Terror Funding
The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) which is named in the Muslim Brotherhood bill, was founded by members of the Islamic Association of Palestine, a group described by the Anti-Defamation League as “a Hamas affiliated anti-Semitic propaganda organization.”
CAIR was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation trial, the largest terrorism financing trial in American history.
On July 1, 2009, U.S. District Court Judge Jorge Solis upheld CAIR’s designation as an unindicted co-conspirator because of “ample evidence” linking it to Hamas.
As a result of this evidence, the FBI deemed CAIR was not “an appropriate liaison partner” and severed all ties.
The Muslim Brotherhood Was Designated a Terrorist Organization by Arab Allies
Egypt’s President Abdelfatah el-Sisi and the United Arab Emirates both designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
The UAE also included the U.S.-based group CAIR in the list of designated terrorist organizations because of its connection to the global Muslim Brotherhood.
Despite lobbying from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and public pressure, the UAE refused to back downon its designation.
