Why the Muslim Brotherhood Came Out of Its Hole

by Khaled Abu Toameh
November 11, 2020 at 5:00 am

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16753/muslim-brotherhood-came-out

Translations of this item:

The labeled terrorist organization [Muslim Brotherhood] said, with a straight face, that it "wishes Mr. Biden, the American people, and the peoples of the whole world to continue to live in dignity under the principles of freedom, justice, democracy and respect for human rights."
"There are several reports confirming the Muslim Brotherhood's support for Biden so that the organization would be able to avoid restrictions on political Islam movements.... Now, they are hoping that the US will remove them from the list of terrorist organizations." — Israa Ahmed Fuad, Egyptian political analyst and author, Youm7.com, November 7, 2020.
The Muslim Brotherhood "are partners of Democratic administrations in ruining the region and supporting extremism." — Amin Al-Alawi, Moroccan researcher, 24saa.ma, November 8, 2020.
No US administration can afford to dismiss the warning bells sounded by Arabs in the wake of the Muslim Brotherhood's attempt to present itself as a peaceful group that seeks to bring freedom and democracy to the Arab world.
The Islamists are desperate to return to power in Egypt, which is why they are prepared to even court the American "Satan" to reach this goal. These are the same Islamists who have been condemning Arabs who have any contact with Americans. At this time of possible administrative change in America, the Arabs who do not support the Muslim Brotherhood -- particularly those living in Egypt and the Gulf states -- fervently hope that their alarm about Islamists will be heard loud and clear by Biden and his group.

The message Arabs are sending to the new US administration is: Do not repeat the mistakes of former President Barack Obama, whose administration sided with then Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood member. Pictured: Then US Secretary of State John Kerry (left) meets with Morsi in Cairo on March 3, 2013. (Photo by Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Images)

Will a new US administration possibly under Joe Biden help revive the Muslim Brotherhood, which is considered a terrorist organization by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Syria? Why is the Muslim Brotherhood rejoicing over the "victory" of Biden?

Some Arabs say they are worried when they see the Muslim Brotherhood celebrating the results of the US presidential election. These Arabs fear that the Muslim Brotherhood, backed by Qatar and Turkey, is preparing to make a comeback under a potential Biden administration.

The message Arabs are sending to the new US administration is: Do not repeat the mistakes of former President Barack Obama, whose administration sided with then Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood member. The Arabs also want to remind a potentially new US administration that the Islamists and their supporters are inveterate liars who care only about their own interests.

"Muslim Brotherhood activists and media outlets have seemed very enthusiastic about the Democratic candidate Joe Biden's progress in US election results," according to the London-based The Arab Weekly newspaper.

"Analysts attributed this enthusiasm to their [Muslim Brotherhood's] wish for an encore of their experience in the era of former President Barack Obama, during which they played a remarkable role riding the wave of the 'Arab Spring' uprisings...

"Pro-Muslim Brotherhood activists and media professionals in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and the Gulf states did not hide their prayers for a Biden victory...

"From the outset, the Muslim Brothers did not hide their bias towards Biden. They presented him as a supporter of Islam and Muslims, highlighting the fact that he cites the Prophet's [Mohammed] hadiths..."

Last week, the Muslim Brotherhood published a statement on its official website in which it wrote that it "appreciates the American electoral process, which resulted in Mr. Joe Biden winning the position of the new President of the United States, a victory that proves that the American people are still able to impose their will."

The labeled terrorist organization said, with a straight face, that it "wishes Mr. Biden, the American people, and the peoples of the whole world to continue to live in dignity under the principles of freedom, justice, democracy and respect for human rights."

The Muslim Brotherhood called on Biden "to review the policies of support for [Arab] dictatorships, and the crimes and violations committed by tyrannical regimes around the world."

The statement surprised few Arabs, many of whom scoffed at the Muslim Brotherhood's talk about "freedom, justice, democracy and respect for human rights." Saudi writer Tariq Al-Homayed remarked:

"As expected, the Muslim Brotherhood organization came out of its hole and issued a statement congratulating Joe Biden and asking him to act against those they call dictatorships... We say expected, because the Muslim Brotherhood, who used to condemn their critics as agents of the West and Zionists, have revealed their face, and they are urging America to intervene against our countries now under the pretext of democracy."

Al-Homayed wondered whether the dictatorships the Muslim Brotherhood are talking about include Iran, Turkey and Qatar. "Are the dictatorships those who want to protect the Arab countries from the evil of the Muslim Brotherhood, their lies, and their terror?," he asked.

Al-Homayed pointed out that the Muslim Brotherhood had mourned Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Quds Force, "who fought Iraqis, Syrians, and Lebanese, and was the architect of devastation in the region."

Soleimani was assassinated in a targeted US drone strike on January 3, 2020, in Baghdad. He was personally sanctioned by the United Nations and the European Union and was designated as a terrorist by the US in 2005.

Egyptian political analyst and writer Israa Ahmed Fuad, reacting to the Muslim Brotherhood statement, said that the terrorist organization "seeks in various ways to exploit any international circumstance in order to recycle itself and come to the fore after its sabotage project in the region failed with the collapse of their regime in Egypt in 2013" - a reference to the downfall of the regime of President Mohammed Morsi.

"There are several reports confirming the Muslim Brotherhood's support for Biden so that the organization would be able to avoid restrictions on political Islam movements," Fuad added. "The Obama era was an ideal period for them. Now, they are hoping that the US will remove them from the list of terrorist organizations."

Moroccan researcher Amin Al-Alawi said that the Muslim Brotherhood's "celebration of Biden reflects a nostalgia for the era of revolutions and the Democrats' support for the Arab Spring." The Muslim Brotherhood, he charged, "are partners of Democratic administrations in ruining the region and supporting extremism. The Muslim Brotherhood believes that Biden will bring them back to power [in Egypt], especially after [President Donald] trump's four-year presence has aborted their ambitions."

Khaled Salah, editor-in-chief of the Egyptian newspaper Al-Youm Al-Sabi', mocked the Muslim Brotherhood's greetings to Biden. Salah said that the Muslim Brotherhood is hoping that Biden will pressure Egypt to release senior members of the terrorist organization from prison. "The ignorant group [Muslim Brotherhood] is dancing with joy at Biden's victory, as if they are preparing to return to power on orders from the White House," he commented.

Nabil Na'im, a former member of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad Organization, said he too believes that the Muslim Brotherhood is seeking "to open a new page" with the new US administration. By congratulating Biden, Na'im argued, the Muslim Brotherhood is expecting the Democratic Party to adopt it, defend its existence and pave the way for its return to the political arena.

No US administration can afford to dismiss the warning bells sounded by Arabs in the wake of the Muslim Brotherhood's attempt to present itself as a peaceful group that seeks to bring freedom and democracy to the Arab world.

The Islamists are desperate to return to power in Egypt, which is why they are prepared to even court the American "Satan" to reach this goal. These are the same Islamists who have been condemning Arabs who have any contact with Americans. At this time of possible administrative change in America, the Arabs who do not support the Muslim Brotherhood -- particularly those living in Egypt and the Gulf states -- fervently hope that their alarm about Islamists will be heard loud and clear by Biden and his group.

Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem, is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at Gatestone Institute.

Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)

© 2024 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Related Topics: Egypt

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Comment on this item

23 Reader Comments

Brenda • Nov 19, 2020 at 05:55

More exposure needed... Many are misinformed re: Muslim Brotherhood

Facebook sharing is NOT ENOUGH!!!

Get on Newsmax, OAN, Fox News, (with Tucker).

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Julie • Nov 14, 2020 at 22:15

If you check online you'll also come across a photo of Obama doing a "fireside" chat with Mohammad Morsi, the former leader of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Imagine that, Obama allowed the head of the Muslim Brotherhood to dirty the floors of the White House. Disgraceful!!!

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JANET • Nov 14, 2020 at 17:13

If Joe Biden can launder money with his son Hunter and Pelosi's son as well, then making crooked deals with the deadly Muslim Brotherhood is simply easy as pie to slight the American Society with the eager help of those in government that Obama placed to back the Nazi Islamist Muslim Brotherhood.

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Mr Pie • Nov 14, 2020 at 01:24

They are excited with the prospects that "Sleepy Joe" is so dumb that his administration would be willing to again embrace the Muslim Brotherhood.
Any normal person would recoil from the MB terrorist cult.

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David • Nov 12, 2020 at 22:19

The obvious necessary but not sufficient prerequisites for people to live in a society of genuine freedom, justice and respect for human rights etc., are separation of powers of the entities
of government, judiciary, religion, military, media.

If this separation fails to occur on a continuous and vigorous basis, the result will be corruption,tyranny loss of all religious and political freedoms etc.

Unfortunately the Koran and the practise of Islam in general encourages not the
separation of powers of entities, but the unification and protection of the five entities listed above, supposedly to support and strengthen.

In so doing corruption, tyranny,loss of religious and political freedoms etc. become inevitable.Valid criticism of a single entity is then regarded as undermining Islam, the alleged perpetrators being severely punished by a state controlled judiciary.

A doctrine which encourages and legalises the physical, psychological, financial harassment, rape and murder of a group of people of differing ethnicity/ religion cannot be called a true religion and is entirely incompatible with genuine human rights and religious freedoms.

Islam may claim to be the perfect political doctrine and religion. To me it is the perfect example of everything a good political doctrine and religion should not be!!

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David • Nov 12, 2020 at 14:58

While muslim brotherhood is relatively powerless it wishes "the whole world to continue to continue to live in dignity under the principles of freedom, justice, democracy and respect for human rights"

If and when MB runs the government of a particular country it is very unlikely that even a single above wish will come true. So similar to the deceptively sweet promises of the the Nazis, Ayatollah Khomeini, Communist Party of Lenin, Pol Pot etc prior to taking control of government. Instead of delivering paradise on earth for all they delivered the very opposite a living physical, psychological , financial starving hell hole for all except the ruling minority.

The promised democracy and freedom became a vile tyranny, justice became whatever the ruling party decreed.

The promised respect for human rights became a shallow meaningless platitude, the courts and legal systems lost their independence and became a tool for punishment of dissidents.

All that I have stated above is at this moment freely available common knowledge in books, newspapers, internet, libraries etc in Western countries.

Tomorrow it may not be freely available!!

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David • Nov 13, 2020 at 11:43

Muslim Brotherhood is a fascist organization like Germany of 1930's which saw another fascist group use democracy to gain power and then dismantle democracy and begin a campaign of tyranny, oppression and stifling of all rights, values and freedoms that were contrary to the ruling authority's ideology.

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Oldguyincolorado • Nov 11, 2020 at 10:16

Biden is knowledgable enough to distinguish between a moderate Muslim and the MB. With some of the more moderate Muslim countries talking in his ear this plan of the MB will fail. As to Obama recognizing Morsi's election in Egypt, please remember that he was put into office by what appears to have been the will of the electorate. I don't recall that anyone said it was a fraudulent election, just that the wrong guy won. I am not a fan of Obama, but what was he supposed to do, ignore a democratically elected new head of state? I know about his nonsense of apologizing to the Arab world, etc., but he just couldn't ignore Egypt.
Fine article.

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shloime

Oldguyincolorado • Nov 13, 2020 at 13:28

The Egyptians begged Obama to delay their elections, because only one party was ready for them, the Moslem Brotherhood. To pretend that Obama reluctantly accepted the results, is disingenuous. he embraced the Brotherhood from his first speech abroad, at al-Azhar University.

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oldguyincolorado

shloime • Nov 14, 2020 at 16:41

I agree that Obama was worse than stupid with his speech. It was more about Islam than just the MB, as I recall. Please correct me if I an wrong. But to claim that you are not ready for an election is about the equivalent of saying you are not ready to govern. Either you are organized or you are not. What I have not heard is that the election was unfair, rigged or fraudulent. Whether or not Obama was happy with the result is beside the point: he had no choice but to recognize it. That is all I said. If he was that unhappy with what Sisi did, why did we ultimately co-operate with this usurper/military dictator? Just wondering.

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Harvey L • Nov 11, 2020 at 09:46

I have grave fears for the future of the free world. Biden is not the complete problem though he is part of the problem. The western politicians and media have this notion of moderate Islam. That might be true at the moment with the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, but let's not forget for one moment the common denominator is Iran and Turkey's global plans. If a new administration in the US is shown to be weak as it will be if it goes back to the Obama years, then I can see a bloodbath in that area with or without US help. Israel is not going to let Iran Turkey or any other despot country threaten it.

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Bob Yoder • Nov 11, 2020 at 09:39

Yes, to take the terrorist nature out of Turkey is to remove the "T" from its name or, if you will, the spots from a leopard. What is left isn't worthy of mention. Nonetheless, as the world stands by, that world continues to arm the Turks to the teeth even as they now complete the extermination of Armenia which they almost completed a century ago (which extermination served as Hitler's template scarcely a generation later).

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shloime

Bob Yoder • Nov 13, 2020 at 13:33

That's just a bit overly dramatic. The fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh isn't about the "extermination of Armenia", but about regaining Azeri land from ethnic Armenian separatists.

Turkey may dream of a neo-Ottoman empire, but that doesn't justify everything that Armenia does.

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Bob Yoder

shloime • Nov 14, 2020 at 21:09

"Azeri land", you say? Based upon what, other than the Holy Writ (i.e., fiat) of Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin?

The eventual conquest of Armenia is an avowed aim of Alyev. But to get to the point, this is no less Armenians' ancestral land than modern-day Israel is of the Jewish people -- and those people would do well to recall that the word, "Holocaust" was first coined to recall the slaughter of the Armenians.

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Hamish MacDonald • Nov 11, 2020 at 07:43

If Taqiyya, the telling of lies (or breaking agreements) is part of Islamic activity, why should it not be a part of the Muslim Brotherhood's pretext of an olive branch?
Could it be they sense a weak Joe Biden leading a weak Democrat Party willing to reverse as many tough positions as possible so as to "curry favour" with the former enemies of the free world? "The Project" a 100 year plan by the Muslim Brotherhood discovered by the Swiss has many activities at various levels of interaction, with one aim: Promote Islam at the expense of democracy, and indeed free speech.
The Muslim Brotherhood was attacked by Nasser following an attempted assassination in Egypt, and they know it, as does the rest of the world. Nasser dealt with them. Trump also put the brakes on.
It would be foolish on the part of politicians in the western democracies not to see the change in mood between a taqiyya oriented Muslim Brotherhood and the U.S.
Good article, timely.

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Oldguyincolorado

Hamish MacDonald • Nov 11, 2020 at 10:37

Hamish, I agree with your thoughts. In Islam this sounds like a mix of Tawriya (intentionally creating a false impression) and Muruna (not implementing certain fundamentalist practices so that you can blend in by creating a false and favorable appearance). The fourth variation of lying is called Kitman which means lying by omission or telling a half truth.

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JB Silver • Nov 11, 2020 at 07:03

There is no 'Biden Administration' yet.
And there will probably not be on 20 Jan 2021, after all the documentation of massive attempted voting fraud by the Democrats on the 3rd & 4th of Nov 2020.
The Electoral College decides on 14 Dec 2020, the winner of the US presidential election.

And the Supreme Court can overrule it.
And there are now 6 Constitutionalists on the Bench, out of 9 Justices.
And each one of them, over and above their loyalty to the US Constitution, has good reason to loathe the Democrats.

But it is their loyalty to the US Constitution that will lead them to destroy the Democrats' massive voter fraud attempt.

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Julie • Nov 11, 2020 at 06:53

Obama's "court jester" (aka John Kerry) got "took".
Since his daughter married an Iranian and the Iranian husband's best man at his wedding was Javad Zarif's son, that was where Kerry the Fool met Zarif and they became "new best friends", rather quickly. Coincidental, you think?
There are no coincidences. The next thing you know, the World has the JCPOA.
Obama, as usual, was asleep at the switch while Kerry and Hillary Clinton
were doing their "thing". You know like Clinton did her Uranium One deal and then there was the Benghazi screw up she was responsible for. As for Kerry, he bent over for the mad mullahs and all but kissed the Iranians asses to get the JCPOA into "memorabilia"(sarcasm intended). Go online and google the "Cassandra project". (Another tragic foreign relations deal which the fools Obama & Kerry hid from the American public and all because Obama wanted the JCPOA to go thru so he could have a legacy as having done something, anything during his eight year reign of incompetence.)
Kerry should be kept out of politics. He should be living in Iran.

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shloime

Julie • Nov 13, 2020 at 13:37

Obama was talking up his non-confrontational approach to Iran long before he was elected. it was part of his bona fides as the "anti-Bush", and he started making overtures to Tehran, such as stopping the investigation of Hezbollah, and lifting sanctions, long before the ketchup king became secretary of state.

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shloime

Julie • Nov 13, 2020 at 13:49

I don't think it was the case at all that the Moslem Brotherhood was the instigator, and Obama the witting or unwitting dupe. Obama made his first foreign speech to an audience packed with Moslem Brotherhood leadership, which couldn't have been accidental. His administration supported the "Arab spring", including the ouster of Mubarak and installation of Morsi. And he declared Erdogan to be "his best friend in the middle east", while defending Hamas, and humiliating Israel. Even his "no boots on the ground" campaign against ISIS was less than credible.

Obama partnered with the Moslem Brotherhood in the middle east, and welcomed their front organization, AIR, into the white house. All the MB are doing now is signaling that they're ready to return to business as usual.

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Noel Anderson • Nov 11, 2020 at 05:32

What does this say about the Democrats and what they lean to??

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Brian 68

Noel Anderson • Nov 11, 2020 at 09:37

I think this article covered the Democrats very well.

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Harvey L

Noel Anderson • Nov 11, 2020 at 16:49

Spot on Noel, my thoughts exactly I'm just wondering when the electorate will come out of the ether.

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