Muslim brotherhood proceeds in a gradual approach, cooperating with other opposition parties and movements intending to run for the parliament elections, presenting an ostensibly moderate political line to reduce concerns among the public, the regime, and in the west. Moderate islam and moderate muslim is a label used within counterterrorism discourse as the complement of islamic extremism, implying that the support of islamic terrorism is the characteristic of a radical faction within islam, and that there is a moderate faction of muslims who denounce extremist violence such as islamic terrorism, militant jihadism and radical. Time to reverse barack husseins cuddling of anything related to the muslim brotherhood he called moderate, defended and even promoted. Such relative moderation offers washington a notable opportunity for engagement as long as policymakers recognize the considerable variation between the groups different branches and. Scholarly discourse on the growth of the islamist movement in the middle east.
The muslim brotherhood is the worlds oldest, largest, and most influential islamist organization. Sixty years later, akef confirms that a person who is in the global arena and believes in the muslim brotherhood s path is. Leiken and steven brooke, the moderate muslim brotherhood, foreign affairs marchapril 2007. Since it was rechartered in 1982, the muslim brotherhood has spread its network across the middle east, europe, and even america. The brotherhood s ideology and political discourse underwent significant changes over the past few decades alanani 2007, brown 2012, elghobashy 2005. A recent report by sky news arabia implicates tunisian moderate muslim brotherhood leader rachid ghannouchi in a qatarfunded assassination of one of his political rivals and vocal critics.
Is the muslim brotherhood a terrorist organization or a. Protestors in tahrir square and other sites across egypt demanded political reform, an end to the hated emergency law and free and fair elections. Muslim brotherhood eyes jordan as a plan b european eye. In the decade following the 911 terrorist attacks, western analysts search for a moderate islamist alternative to alqaeda often brought them to the muslim brotherhood, whose rhetorical rejection of terrorism and embrace of electoral politics was seductive. The moderate muslim brotherhood essay 86 foreign affairs 2007.
However, this assessment is not entirely sufficient, since saudi arabia is accustomed to confronting extremism by supporting a more moderate interpretation of islam from their perspective, at least. It is also the most controversial, condemned by both conventional opinion in the west and radical opinion in the middle east. You are not a terrorist organization, again, according to the u. The major finding of this study is that, over time, a. The muslim brotherhoods conception of citizenship rights. This study uses competing theoretical approaches to understand the reasons behind the muslim brotherhood s decision to abide by a moderate strategy.
In the anxious and often fruitless search for muslim moderates, policymakers should recognize that the muslim brotherhood. Founded in egypt in 1928, the brotherhood is the countrys oldest islamist organization and has branches throughout the world. Much of the resulting literature thus touted the brotherhood s supposedly. American commentators have called the muslim brothers radical. The muslim brotherhood, at least in postcoup egypt, no longer enjoys a strong presence in society with an elaborate network of social services and a tolerated public presence. An egyptian schoolteacher from a rural town north of cairo, banna engaged in islamist activities from a young age, joining a local group that intimidated and harassed christians and nonobserving muslims in his hometown. Acknowledgements this paper originated from an interest in the jordanian muslim brotherhood while i was collecting material for my phd dissertation under the supervision of the late prof. Passages that are particularly noteworthy are highlighted. You might find many di2erent types of epublication along with other literatures from our paperwork data bank. The muslim brotherhood is a transnational organization whose organizing principle is. An exercise in ambiguity roel meijer we are a salafiyya message, a sunni way, a sufi truth, a political organisation, an athletic group, a culturaleducational union, an economic company, and a social idea. At home in egypt, parliamentary elections in 2005 saw the muslim brotherhood winning 20 percent of the available legislative seats, comprising the largest opposition party block. Us partnership with the egyptian muslim brotherhood and. For the better part of two decades, a debate has raged in american research and policy circles about whether the muslim brotherhood in egypt is a moderate political force that could enhance a democratic and liberal process in the country.
Such relative moderation offers washington a notable opportunity for engagement as long as policymakers recognize the considerable variation between the groups different branches and tendencies. The muslim brotherhood alikhwan almuslimun1 was founded as an islamic revivalist movement in the egyptian town of ismailiyaa in march 1928 by school teacher hassan. However, the muslim brotherhood s efforts to rebrand itself as a. Sami moubayed in middecember, the jordanian branch of the muslim brotherhood, known as the muslim brotherhood society mbs, wrapped up its third annual muslim brotherhood eyes jordan as a plan b. Today, it exists in many states and often is one of the largest political opposition groups. Among those warranting special attention are what amounts to the mission statement of the muslim brotherhood in america. The muslim brotherhood is not a moderate organization or movement, but a terrorist one. Throughout the 80s and 90s, major moderate islamist movements such as the muslim brotherhood and the ennahda were excluded from democratic political participation. Yesterday, i briefly visited a bookstore and glanced at the latest issue marchapril 2007 of foreign affairs. As the civil war in syria continues into its eighth year, it is more important than ever to understand how this moderate islamist group failed, especially given the postarab spring success of muslim brotherhood branches in egypt and tunisia. Justice department is currently prosecuting in federal court. Investigative project on terrorism the muslim brotherhood introduction.
Different groups and individuals, including the muslim brotherhood, moderate muslims, secularists, many women and many christian copts came together in support of this cause. Hspi issue brief series the global muslim brotherhood. The following muslim brotherhood document was entered into evidence in the u. Many western pundits claim the muslim brotherhood has little power and simply wants to play a peaceful role in egyptian democracy. A lot has been said and published lately about the muslim brotherhood by western researchers, but by far the moderate muslim brotherhood study published in foreign affairs by steven brooke and robert leiken, has been one of the most stimulating and accurate accounts, and helped to open a serious and rational debate about our movement. Fifty years ago, during nasser dictatorship, i lived in cairo where the secret police oppressed all the citizens, and the population had no recourse to defend itself against th. There is analysis of the underlying tenets of the muslim brotherhood and its. Designate the muslim brotherhood as a foreign terrorist. Sami moubayed in middecember, the jordanian branch of the muslim brotherhood, known as the muslim brotherhood society mbs, wrapped up. Muslim brotherhood simple english wikipedia, the free. Even as western commentators condemn the muslim brotherhood for its islamism, radicals in the middle east condemn it for rejecting jihad and embracing democracy. The process of settlement is a civilizationjihadist. The president should instruct the secretary of state immediately to designate the muslim brotherhood, its fronts and controlled organizations, as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists.
Finally, it intends to examine the geopolitical and ideological motivations behind the notion of moderate islam promoted by the saudi leadership. To the extent that circumstances permit, it will attempt to gather. Our professional services was released using a aspire to work as a complete online electronic library that provides entry to great number of pdf file ebook assortment. This article will contrast leiken and brookes main arguments with facts taken from official, public muslim brotherhood sources. Moderate islamism within the democratic institution is a relatively recent phenomenon. The muslim brotherhood are simply a backward organized terrorist gang. The group is the worlds oldest and largest islamic political group, and the worlds most influential islamist movement. The muslim brotherhood s bylaws make clear the ikhwans objectives and means to achieve them. Many of the ideas presented here were discussed with. The bill, the muslim brotherhood terrorism designation act, failed for two terms, 201516, and 201718. Leiken and brooke based their recommendation on the assumptions that the muslim brotherhood is moderate, has a constructive approach to democracy, and is a potential partner foramericaand the west.
And at one point in time, the muslim brotherhood had represented that moderate interpretation. Having sporadically engaged in this debate, i have often argued that the muslim brotherhood s. From a muslim brotherhood member to a follower of jesus. Policymakers should instead analyze each national and local group independently and seek out those that are open to engagement. That designation could be made by president donald trump, or secretary of state rex tillerson, as explained below, but not so far. In the anxious and often fruitless search for muslim moderates,policymakers should recognize that the muslim brotherhood presents a notable opportunity. Nowconvicted brotherhood leaders may have colluded with saudi officials to help hijackers. The muslim brotherhood is a transnational sunni islamist movement that seeks to implement sharia islamic law under a global caliphate. The debate about the moderate muslim brotherhood continues. Leiken and brooke, the moderate muslim brotherhood 21 burgat, face to face with political islam, 54. In the ranks of a muslim militia i was only when the muslim brotherhood, an extremist muslim group, recruited me two years before the lebanese civil war broke out in 1975. These documents covered extensively in chapter four define the structure and outline of. The meir amit intelligence and terrorism information center. To enhance its political position and expand its constituency after participating in electoral politics during the 1980s, the brotherhood.
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