By Avi Kaner
Thousands of Hamas terrorists from the Gaza strip infiltrated Israel on October 7, brutally murdering everyone in sight across many villages – in the streets, homes, shelters, and a music festival – Jews and Arabs alike. Over 200 grandparents, men, women, children and babies were taken captive and dragged into Gaza. Millions of Israelis and Palestinians were left living in a state of war, quashing any possibility of peace for years to come. This was not an ad-hoc event – it was funded, choreographed and timed by the Iranian regime to stop Saudi Arabia’s defense pact with the United States including normalization with Israel and benefits for the Palestinians. It is the reality spreading around the globe – the toxic partnership between Muslim Brotherhood and the Iranian regime.
The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Cairo by Hassan Al-Banna in 1928. Al-Banna’s teachings spread far beyond Egypt, influencing a wide array of Islamist movements using different names and camouflaged as charitable and social organizations.The Muslim Brotherhood is active in over 80 countries, including political capacities. It includes the Islamic Action Front in Jordan, and Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank. Any claims that these organizations are separate from the Muslim Brotherhood are false – they follow the extremist teachings and have the same goal of establishing a global Islamist caliphate, toppling governments and the imposition of sharia law. Adding fuel to the fire is the burgeoning relationship with the Iranian regime, which views the Muslim Brotherhood as its ally in “exporting the resistance.”
Hamas Muslim Brotherhood is funded by the Iranian regime as well as taxation of Palestinians. Every item going in and out of Gaza is taxed by Hamas leaders. Every aid shipment is tapped for notorious uses instead of helping the Palestinians who are their pawns. Hamas leaders live lavish lifestyles including magnificent villas abroad and vast investment holdings. Hamas portrays itself as a “resistance movement” while it is actually a “get-rich movement.” In return, Hamas takes orders from the Iranian regime, just like Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. They provide only death, destruction and misery to the Palestinians, as they have done in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.
Hamas’ recent barbaric crimes showed its true face, inconsistent with the Holy Qur’an or the Islamic religion. These are not only war crimes, but vile crimes against humanity and God, directed by the Iranian regime.
Hamas Muslim Brotherhood has a long history of scuttling initiatives that would benefit Palestinians. For example, on the day that Saudi Arabia announced the Arab Peace Initiative, providing a two-state solution and regional peace, a Hamas suicide bomber massacered civilians celebrating a Passover meal in Netanya. Now, with Iranian regime funding and support, Hamas is emboldened with thousands of rockets and affiliation with its many terror proxies.
The toxic partnership between Muslim Brotherhood and the Iranian regime is a threat to the entire world. The Palestinian cause has been used merely as a mechanism to rile up communities across many countries, as we see today following the Hamas terror attacks. A peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians would cripple the Muslim Brotherhood’s ability to use the cause.
While many countries in the Middle East have designated Muslim Brotherhood as a terror organization, most countries around the world have not. It operates as a wolf in sheep’s clothing in the West using innocuous names like Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe with satellite branches across European countries. In the United States, a proposed Congressional bill in 2015 identified the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a Muslim Brotherhood entity.
According to German reports, Muslim Brotherhood activists have been infiltrating institutions including universities. The large number of refugees create a breeding ground for Muslim Brotherhood extremism. The Islamic Community of Germany (IGD) is classified as a Muslim Brotherhood front by the German Domestic Intelligence Agency. In a welcome move, the Central Council of Muslims in Germany (ZMD) recently stripped a global Muslim Brotherhood figure of his posts.
There is a role for religious organizations across the world to inspire and bring hope to the people. Tolerance and coexistence must take root, instead of the Muslim Brotherhood’s and the Iranian regime’s extremist ideologies. Countries across the Middle East have taken action and are successfully achieving that objective. It’s time for countries across Europe, Asia and the Americas to do the same.