By Avi Kaner
For too long, the Muslim Brotherhood has masqueraded as a moderate political movement, while advancing an Islamist agenda steeped in violence, anti-Western ideology, and jihad. Now, for the first time in decades, Congress may finally force a reckoning.
The Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025, introduced by Senator Ted Cruz, is a bold legislative push to classify the Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The bill proposes asset freezes, financial sanctions, and criminal penalties for anyone materially supporting this sprawling global network.
The recent Colorado shooting, where Mohamed Sabry Suleiman, an illegal Egyptian national, opened fire at civilians while shouting “Freedom for Palestine,” exposed the deadly consequences of ignoring ideological extremism. It underscored the Brotherhood’s role as an incubator of radical thought, linking immigration failures, domestic terror, and jihadist propaganda.
As Senator Cruz said:
“The Muslim Brotherhood engages in political violence to destabilize America’s allies, and it has thrived under the lax posture” of the previous administration.
This is no exaggeration. Founded in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna, the Muslim Brotherhood’s core motto is chillingly clear:
“Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. The Quran is our constitution. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.”
Its ideology is not reformist – it’s revolutionary. Brotherhood leaders like Yusuf al-Qaradawi issued fatwas endorsing suicide bombings and terrorist attacks against Americans. Mohammed Badie, the Brotherhood’s former Supreme Guide, openly called for an Islamist caliphate governed by sharia law.
Even Ayman al-Zawahiri, the late al-Qaeda leader, began his jihadist journey as a teenage member of the Brotherhood.
Terror groups such as Hamas, Hasm, and Liwa al-Thawra trace their ideological roots, and in many cases, direct organizational links back to the Brotherhood. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Syria, and Russia have all formally designated the Brotherhood as a terrorist entity. Yet in the U.S., it remains legal.
Why? Because for years, intelligence and foreign policy officials feared that designation would complicate relationships with countries like Qatar, Turkey, and Tunisia, where Brotherhood-linked groups operate within government. Others naively hoped the Brotherhood could serve as a moderate buffer against al-Qaeda.
But the Brotherhood’s own secret documents tell a different story. In “The Project,” a 1982 internal strategy document discovered by Swiss authorities, Brotherhood leaders called for establishing global Islamic rule, rejecting coexistence with Jews, and supporting jihad movements worldwide.
In a 1991 memorandum uncovered by the FBI – “An Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America” – Brotherhood leaders laid out their plan to sabotage Western civilization from within, calling their presence in the U.S. a form of “civilization jihad.” The memo lists Brotherhood-linked front groups still active today: ISNA, ICNA, CAIR, and others.
This is not just foreign policy – it’s a domestic national security threat. Brotherhood ideology is deeply embedded in U.S.-based institutions, including educational and advocacy groups. A documented example is the al-Hanooti family, spanning three generations of Muslim Brotherhood activism in America, with ties to Hamas financing, CAIR leadership, and even congressional campaigns.
The Brotherhood has become adept at using the West’s democratic values – free speech, religious liberty, and civic engagement – to shield itself while advancing a deeply anti-democratic, Islamist agenda.
The 2025 legislation, backed by groups like AIPAC, CUFI, and FDD Action, would finally force accountability. It would mandate investigations into U.S.-based entities with ideological or financial ties to the Brotherhood and bring legal consequences to those who have operated with impunity for years.
The time for ambiguity is over. The Muslim Brotherhood is not a misunderstood movement – it is the ideological backbone of Islamist terror worldwide. The question is not whether to designate it a terrorist organization. The question is how much longer we will tolerate its presence in our backyard.
The reckoning is overdue. And now, it may finally arrive.
