U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order directing his administration to study whether branches of the Muslim Brotherhood, such as those in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan, should be classified as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).
In a statement, the White House said, “President Trump is confronting the transnational network of the Muslim Brotherhood, which fuels terrorism and destabilization campaigns against the interests of the United States and its allies in the Middle East.”
The order, addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, “initiates a process through which certain branches or sub-organizations of the Muslim Brotherhood may be designated as foreign terrorist organizations,” specifically referring to its branches in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan.
The executive order notes that these branches “commit, facilitate, or support acts of violence and destabilization campaigns that harm their respective regions, U.S. citizens, and U.S. interests.”
Republicans and other right-wing voices have long called for the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group. Trump pursued a similar effort during his first term. A few months into his second term, Rubio stated that the Trump administration was working toward officially classifying the movement as a terrorist organization.
Last week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, also a Republican, imposed the same designation on the Muslim Brotherhood at the state level.
Several countries have banned the Muslim Brotherhood
Founded in Egypt nearly a century ago, the Muslim Brotherhood has branches across the world. It has long been Egypt’s most prominent opposition movement, despite decades of government crackdowns. Egypt designates the group as a terrorist organization, having banned it from political life in 2013 after the ousting of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi and the rise of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to power.
The group is banned in several countries, including Saudi Arabia and, more recently, Jordan.
In April, Jordan announced the prohibition of all Muslim Brotherhood activities in the kingdom, ordering the closure of its offices and the confiscation of its assets. Authorities accused the group of weapons possession, attempting to manufacture explosives and missiles, and plotting to destabilize the country’s security.
In May, French President Emmanuel Macron instructed his government to present proposals addressing the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and the spread of “political Islam” in France, following reports warning that the movement poses a “threat to national cohesion.”
(Agencies: Reuters, AFP, dpa)
