JORDAN OUTLAWS MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD GROUP, CONFISCATES ITS ASSETS AND OFFICES

Wed 23 April 2025:

Jordan outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s most vocal opposition group, on Wednesday and confiscated its assets, after members of the group were found to be linked to a sabotage plot, Interior Minister, Mazen Fraya, said.

There was no immediate comment from the movement, which has operated legally in Jordan for decades and has widespread grass-roots support in major urban centres and scores of offices across the country.

Fraya said all the activities of the group would be banned and anyone promoting its ideology would be held accountable by law.

The ban includes publishing anything by the group and closure and confiscation of all its offices and property, he added.

Opponents of the Brotherhood, which is outlawed in most Arab countries, say it is a dangerous terrorist group which must be crushed. The movement says it publicly renounced violence decades ago and pursues an Islamist vision using peaceful means.

__________________________________________________________________________

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22

__________________________________________________________________________

The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna in Ismailia, Egypt, emerged as a response to British colonial influence and perceived moral decay in Muslim societies. Al-Banna, a schoolteacher, aimed to revive Islamic values through a grassroots movement blending religious reform, social welfare, and political activism. The Brotherhood’s motto—“Allah is our objective; the Prophet is our leader; the Quran is our law; jihad is our way”—reflected its blend of spiritual and militant aspirations.

By the 1930s, it grew rapidly, establishing schools, clinics, and mosques, appealing to the urban middle class and rural poor. Its anti-colonial stance and call for Sharia-based governance gained traction, but its paramilitary wing, the “Special Apparatus,” clashed with Egyptian authorities. In 1948, the government banned the group after it was linked to political assassinations, including that of Prime Minister Mahmoud al-Nuqrashi. Al-Banna was assassinated in 1949, likely by state agents.

Under Gamal Abdel Nasser’s regime (1952–1970), the Brotherhood faced severe repression. Thousands were imprisoned, and leaders like Sayyid Qutb developed ideologies of global jihad, influencing later extremist groups. Qutb’s execution in 1966 radicalized some members, though the mainstream Brotherhood renounced violence by the 1970s.

In the 1980s, under Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak, the group re-emerged, participating in elections and professional syndicates while maintaining social services. Its political rise peaked after the 2011 Arab Spring, when Mohamed Morsi, a Brotherhood member, won Egypt’s presidency in 2012. His rule, marred by economic woes and authoritarian moves, ended in a 2013 military coup led by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The Brotherhood was again banned, labeled a terrorist group, and thousands of its members were jailed or fled.

Globally, the Brotherhood inspired offshoots in Jordan, Syria, and Palestine (e.g., Hamas). Its ideology—combining political Islam with social activism—remains influential, though it faces repression in many Arab states. Critics view it as a threat to secular governance; supporters see it as a voice for Muslim aspirations. Its history reflects a tug-of-war between reform and revolution, faith and politics.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

__________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22