The Muslim Brotherhood Listed By The Egyptian Government As a Terrorist Organization

As Christmas Day was ringing to the world the famous traditional song "Peace on Earth," the Egyptian Government was declaring "The Muslim Brotherhood" a terrorist organization.  Never before has the Brotherhood been so categorized.  During most of its 85 years of existence, it was banned.  That was an elastic ban which was tightened or loosened depending on the Government's degree of anxiety as regards the Brotherhood's impact on politics and society.  So what has so radically changed precipitating such drastic listing?

The tragedy of the Brotherhood in post-Mubarak Egypt began on April 1, 2012.  On that date, that organization nominated its longtime strategist, Khairat El-Shater, to run for the post of President.  It was a break by the Brotherhood of its pledge not to have nominations  for the highest post in Egypt.


Top US State Department officials had praised El-Shater's "moderation, business savvy and effectiveness."  Yet in fact he was a protagonist for an explicitly Islamic government.  Divisive by nature, he stood in opposition of "the liberal wing" of the Brotherhood.  Abdel-Moneim Aboul Fotouh, Kamal El-Helbawy and Abdel-Rahman Ayyash were prominent liberal who became casualties of bulldozer El-Shater.

Elevating El-Shater to a demi-god, Badie, the Brotherhood's Supreme Guide, who is now with El-Shater in jail since July 2013, said darkly at that time: "To all those who will slander engineer Khairat El-Shater, his prayers against those who slander him are answered."  Within a few days, demi-god El-Shater was, under Egyptian citizenship laws regarding presidential candidates, disqualified.  Morsi was El-Shater replacement on the ballot for president in the summer of 2012.  Morsi won the post over his military opponent, General Shafik, and thus began a year of Islamist rule in Egypt.

From the pinnacle of power in the most populous Arab country of nearly 90 millions, to the abyss of populist impeachment on June 30, 2013, the Brotherhood's journey was a series of self inflicted wounds.  That self immolation, though expressed in a series of putchist moves against secularist Egypt, stemmed primarily from the Brotherhood's abuse of Islamic tenets for sordid ends of power.

In a seminal article by Imad Al-Ghazali in the Cairo daily Al-Shorook, published on December 19, 2013, this analyst lamented the continued Brotherhood attacks by word and terrorist actions against Egypt's armed forces.  Quoting partially from that article which was published 6 days before the Mansoura massacre of police and civilians by Islamist Brotherhood affiliates, Al-Ghazali said: "This is the army that sided with the Egyptian revolution of January 25.  It is the army which supported the millions who rose up on June 30 refusing the rule by Morsi and the Brotherhood.  It is the army which loses in Sinai every day its personnel gunned down by the bullets of treachery and terror."

In a legal assessment of the listing by the Egyptian Government on December 25, 2013, of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, I posit the following in a nutshell fashion:

The declaration of "The Muslim Brotherhood" as a terrorist organization is legally sound.  It is anchored in the presidential decrees of 1996, as well as in the conventions on terrorism adopted by the League of Arab States (1998) and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation {successor of "Conference"} (1999).  The perpetration of the massacre of the police personnel and civilians at Mansoura two days ago, and its adoption by Islamist units federated with the Brotherhood, fall within the parameters adopted by the UN General Assembly in the early 2000s on terrorism.  The Brotherhood, having, since July 3, 2013, embarked upon a campaign of non-recognition of all actions by the transitional Government, of fomenting challenges to the law on public demonstrations, of open support of the Sinai rebellion, of generating campaigns domestically and internationally against sectarian amity, and of open collaboration with Hamas, are actions justifying defining that organization internally and externally as a terrorist organization.

Note should be taken of Article 237 of the draft of the Egyptian Constitution which shall be the subject of plebiscite on January 14, and 15, 2014.  In part, the article provides that: "The State is committed to fight terrorism in all its forms --as a threat to the homeland and its citizens." (my translation from the Arabic)

In addition, Article 74, among other things, denies the establishment of any political parties on religious basis.  This accords with the document issued by Al-Azhar, and co-signed by the Coptic Church on August 11, 2011 stating that: "Islam does not create a State based solely on religion."

It was on December 19, 2013 that the so-called "National Coalition For the Support of Democracy and the Opposition of the Coup" (in reference to the present transitional government), called for public demonstrations to abort the constitutional plebiscite.  That declaration called on "The revolutionary citizens to rise up in defense of their revolution, to ignite an  uprising in all public squares, and to mobilize by the millions on this Friday (Dec. 20).  This shall usher a new revolutionary week under the banner proclaiming "The 2012 Constitution is Ours."

Well, these millions did not respond to the Brotherhood's call.  While in Cairo in early December, I heard nothing but support for the 2014 Constitution.  And the dreams of the Brotherhood of establishing "The Islamic Emirate of Egypt" proved to be an unreachable goal.  The characterization on December 2013 by religious frauds like Sheikh Al-Qaradawi of the constitutional plebiscite as "a worthless undertaking," caused millions to laugh at his lunacy.

The Muslim Brotherhood's advocacy of a religious uprising against a deeply-rooted secular Egypt has proven the barrenness of, and in fact, the stupidity of its manifesto.  Treating stupidity charitably is to quote from a saying by Pope John Paul II who proclaimed: "Even stupidity is a gift from God."

Charitable interpretation of "stupidity" aside, Egypt is already moving in a post-Muslim Brotherhood mode.  This is in spite of the Brotherhood's resort to attacking soft civilian targets.  The Egyptian grade school texts have been revised to emphasize love of the homeland; the private sector, especially with regard to tourism and trade, is being energized; and the preservation of ancient Egyptian, Christian, Jewish and Islamic antiquities and edifices is once more becoming a national passion.

With a wary eye on the abuse in mosques of the Friday sermons by unqualified Muslim preachers, the Ministry of Waqfs (Entails and Trusts) has as of early December 2013, reasserted control over the pulpits.  The campaign of restoration of Islam to its traditional advocacy of tolerance and moderation, is in vogue.  Waqf Minister Muhammad Mokhtar Gomaa ascended the pulpit at Al-Azhar mosque on December 6, 2013.  His message was an official declaration of the start of purification of the pulpits in Egyptian mosques of the venom of fanaticism.

No less than 527 non-qualified and non -Azharite religious pulpit-mongers were forbidden from delivering Friday sermons.  The Minister of Waqfs also called for the dissolution of the Egyptian branch of the Union of Islamic Scholars.  This prompted Sheikh Al-Qaradawi to resign from the union's membership.  His pet sermons called on the Egyptian army to mutiny against its commanders.  That call for insurrection went nowhere eve prior to declaring the Brotherhood, whose spiritual leader is Al-Qaradawi himself, a terrorist cabal.

Oh, and one more thing Sheikh Qaradawi: Your accumulated wealth as a Qatari citizen is no passport to your ill-conceived fatwas, especially regarding the Shiis being non-Muslims.  Your dialogue with the Iranian reformist, former President Hashem Rafsanjani, was nothing but a dark episode in the recent history of Sunni-Shii dialogues.

Here is an adage for you, Sheikh Qaradawi.  It applies to your urging mutiny upon Egyptian armed forces recruits.  The source of this adage is the late great novelist, Tom Clancy who said: "If you want to kick the tiger in his a.., you'd better have a plan for dealing with his teeth."