Select Language:
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump initiated steps to classify certain Muslim Brotherhood chapters as foreign terrorist organizations and globally designated terrorists. This move aims to impose sanctions on one of the Middle East’s most longstanding and influential groups. Trump issued an executive order instructing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to compile a report within 45 days, assessing whether to label chapters in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan as terrorist entities.
The administration alleges that factions of the Muslim Brotherhood in these countries have supported or incited violent attacks against Israel and U.S. allies, or have provided material support to Hamas. According to a White House fact sheet, “President Trump is confronting the Muslim Brotherhood’s transnational network, which fuels terrorism and destabilization efforts against U.S. interests and regional allies.”
Support for declaring the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group has been a long-standing position among Republicans and right-wing voices. During his first term, Trump attempted a similar effort, and months into his second term, Senator Rubio indicated that the current administration was working towards a designation. Last week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, also a Republican, officially declared the group a terrorist organization at the state level.
Founded in Egypt in the 1920s, the Muslim Brotherhood started as a religious-political movement aimed at countering secular and nationalist influences. It rapidly expanded across various Muslim countries, becoming a significant but often clandestine force.
ChatGPT
Perplexity
Gemini AI
Grok AI
