How the Muslim Brotherhood Shapes Extremism
Jordan recently banned the Muslim Brotherhood from the country.
What is the Muslim Brotherhood, and how has its ideology shaped extremist groups across the Middle East?
Key Facts About the Muslim Brotherhood
- The Muslim Brotherhood is a Sunni Islamist movement founded in 1928 by an Egyptian schoolteacher, Hassan al-Banna.
- The Brotherhood’s core beliefs are the revival of religious zealotry to restore the greatness of Muslim society and rid it of Western influence. It blends religious teaching with political activism and social welfare programs.
- Al-Banna avoided defining the Islamic government his movement sought to create, which helped the Brotherhood gain widespread popularity—first in Egypt and then across the region—by uniting the masses and sidestepping political disagreements.
Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel
Jihad in the Muslim Brotherhood
For decades, many of the extremist ideologies plaguing the Middle East have been traced back to the Muslim Brotherhood.
A pivotal Brotherhood member was Sayyid Qutb. Qutb’s writings in the mid-20th century developed the preexisting Islamic doctrine of jihad into an armed struggle against “apostate” governments not based on sharia. His work has inspired militant Sunni Islamist groups, including al-Qaeda and Hamas.
Many regional governments, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE, have opposed the Brotherhood and even outlawed the movement.
Jordan Recently Banned the Muslim Brotherhood
Last week, the Interior Ministry of Jordan announced it would enforce a widespread ban on the Brotherhood’s activities in the country. The announcement came after the arrests of 16 individuals charged with a plot involving weapons, explosives, and plans to build drones and train combatants.
This is significant not only because of the extent of the plot but also because the Brotherhood’s political arm won over 30 Parliamentary seats last year.
Islamist extremism is widespread and antithetical to peace and progress, and we applaud Arabs, Israelis, and others in the Middle East who are fighting it.