The White House issued a decree blacklisting certain Muslim Brotherhood branches as “terrorist” groups, citing their alleged support for the Palestinian group Hamas.
US President Donald Trump issued a decree on Monday setting in motion a process to label the branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan as “terrorist” organisations.
The blacklisting was justified on the basis that these branches allegedly support Hamas, with the decree further accusing them of waging a campaign against US interests and allies.
It also claimed that Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Jordan provided “material support” to Hamas and that the Lebanese branch – al-Jamaa al-Islamiya – had sided with Hamas and Hezbollah in their respective wars with Israel following the October 7 attack.
Additional allegations were made against the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leadership, accusing one figure of “calling for violent attacks against United States partners and interests” during Israel’s war on Gaza.
The decree said these activities “threaten the security of American civilians in the Levant and other parts of the Middle East, as well as the safety and stability of our regional partners”.
Timeline of the decree
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Trump’s decision to pursue the designation includes an order for the Secretary of State and the Treasury Secretary to produce a report on the matter, in coordination with the US intelligence chief, within 30 days.
A formal “foreign terrorist organisation” label would then be applied to the Muslim Brotherhood within 45 days of the report’s completion.
The process follows formal protocol but may also open the door to blacklisting other Muslim Brotherhood branches.
“It will be done in the strongest and most powerful terms, the final documents are being drawn,” Trump said. White House officials are also reportedly pushing to apply the label of “designated global terrorists” to the groups.
According to Just the News, Trump has been planning the move since his first term as president in 2017.
Once the decree is formally enacted, any material support to the groups, including monetary donations, would become strictly illegal. In addition, any current or former member of these groups would be indefinitely banned from entering the US.
History of the Muslim Brotherhood
The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in 1928 by Egyptian scholar Hassan al-Banna and has since grown into numerous branches and organisations across the Middle East in the form of political parties and social justice groups.
It is considered one of the oldest and most influential Islamic political movements and is currently led by Mohammed Badie in Egypt, who is currently serving a life sentence with capital punishment for allegedly planning a series of violent attacks.
The group has been outlawed in many countries across the Middle East and North Africa for opposing secular dictatorships and wanting Islam to play a bigger role in public life.
Earlier this year, Jordan became the latest Arab country to ban the Muslim Brotherhood. Other countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates have also outlawed the movement.
Right-wing US activists
The blacklisting has long been a key demand from right-wing, Zionist and anti-Islam activists in the US.
But there is serious concern among many Muslim American activists and organisations who fear they will be unfairly tied to Muslim Brotherhood figures or charities, making them targets as a result.
Recent examples include the detention of British journalist Sami Hamdi by ICE and the attacks on the Muslim advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
The campaign to have Hamdi arrested during his most recent visit to the US was led by right-wing activists such as Laura Loomer, who accused him of being part of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Similarly, CAIR was designated as a “foreign terrorist organisation” by Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott, alongside the Muslim Brotherhood, clearly linking the two.
CAIR is suing the governor’s office in response.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also thanked Trump for his reported plans to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terror group.
“I commend President Trump for outlawing the Muslim Brotherhood. This is an organisation that endangers stability in the Middle East and beyond. That is why the State of Israel has outlawed parts of the organisation and will continue to do so,” he said.
