By John Rossomando
On July 16, 2025, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025, urging the U.S. to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). This is not an assault on Islam or faith—it is a critical step to confront an ideology that has driven violence and extremism worldwide for nearly a century.
Since its founding in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna, the Muslim Brotherhood has pursued a singular mission: to establish Islamist regimes globally through propaganda, political infiltration, and, when deemed necessary, violent jihad. Far from a mere religious or charitable group, it is a political movement with a well-documented history of radicalism.
The Brotherhood’s influence is undeniable. It is the ideological progenitor of Hamas, its Palestinian branch, which is already designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., EU, and others. Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel—resulting in 1,200 deaths and 240 hostages—vividly showcased the Brotherhood’s doctrine of violence. This ideology, rooted in rejection of pluralism, modernity, and coexistence, also fuels lone-wolf attacks, from the Fort Hood shooting to the London Underground bombings.
The Brotherhood’s public facade as a legitimate political actor masks its darker agenda. In private, its leaders advocate jihad and antisemitism, as evidenced by the 2013 arrest of Mohamed Badie, the group’s Supreme Guide in Egypt, who was linked to Hamas leadership. Its affiliates in Europe and North America have long provided financial and logistical support to radical networks.
The threat extends beyond Israel and the West. Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE have banned or designated the Brotherhood a terrorist group, responding to decades of violence, including the 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat by a Brotherhood-inspired extremist. These nations recognize the group as the ideological wellspring for Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Boko Haram, all united by the belief that Islamic law must dominate, by force if necessary.
Hesitation in Washington stems from fears of being labeled “Islamophobic” or disrupting diplomacy. Yet, designating the Brotherhood as an FTO is not anti-Muslim—it is a defense of all people, Muslim and non-Muslim, against an ideology that weaponizes faith. The Abraham Accords, a beacon of Middle Eastern peace since 2020, are jeopardized by Brotherhood-aligned factions that intimidate moderate voices and reformist governments. Potential Accord members hesitate, not out of rejection of peace, but from fear of retaliation by Islamist groups tied to the Brotherhood.
In the U.S., critics of the Brotherhood face harassment and accusations of bigotry, chilling open debate. Congress must rise above this intimidation. Designating the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization would disrupt its funding, restrict its operatives’ travel, and empower law enforcement to target its networks. This is not a partisan issue—it is a matter of human rights and national security.
Inaction has a price: continued violence, radicalization, and loss of life. The Muslim Brotherhood is the ideological engine of modern Islamist terrorism. Until it is addressed, the cycle of violence will persist.
I call on Congress to pass the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025. The moment demands bold leadership, not timidity. History will judge whether we acted to protect innocent lives.
