History & Founding
The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in March 1928 in Ismailia, Egypt by Hassan al-Banna, a 22-year-old schoolteacher influenced by the collapse of the Ottoman Caliphate in 1924. Al-Banna sought to re-Islamise Muslim populations through education, social welfare, and ultimately political power.
The Brotherhood's foundational slogan — "Allah is our objective; the Prophet is our leader; the Quran is our law; Jihad is our way; dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope" — encapsulated its totalising vision.
"It is the nature of Islam to dominate, not to be dominated, to impose its law on all nations and to extend its power to the entire planet."
Hassan al-Banna, founder, Muslim BrotherhoodBy the 1940s, the Brotherhood had grown to 500,000 members in Egypt alone. After a 1954 assassination attempt on Nasser, he banned the organisation. It was in prison that Sayyid Qutb developed the ideology that would directly inspire Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Timeline
- 1928Hassan al-Banna founds the Muslim Brotherhood in Ismailia, Egypt.
- 1948Brotherhood fighters participate in the Arab-Israeli War. Egyptian PM al-Nuqrashi is assassinated; al-Banna is killed by Egyptian security services in retaliation.
- 1954–1970Nasser bans the Brotherhood. Sayyid Qutb writes Milestones in prison — foundational to Al-Qaeda and ISIS ideology.
- 1973–1990sBrotherhood spreads globally. Hamas is founded in 1987 as the Brotherhood's Palestinian wing.
- 2011–2013Arab Spring brings Brotherhood to power in Egypt under Morsi. Morsi is ousted by military coup; Egypt designates the Brotherhood terrorist.
- 2013–PresentMultiple states designate the Brotherhood terrorist. Qatar and Turkey continue to support Brotherhood-aligned movements globally.
Ideology & Strategy
The Brotherhood employs a gradualist strategy combining da'wa, social services, political participation, and institutional infiltration — building parallel social structures that create dependency, then leveraging this base to pursue political power.
"The Ikhwan must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilisation from within."
An Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Brotherhood in North America, 1991 — admitted as FBI evidence, 2004Sayyid Qutb's concept of takfir — declaring other Muslims apostates — became the theological justification for violence against Muslim governments and directly spawned Al-Qaeda and Hamas.
Activities & Methods
Institutional infiltration: In the United States, organisations including CAIR, ISNA, and the Muslim American Society were identified in federal court proceedings as Brotherhood fronts.
Finance and media: Qatar's Al Jazeera serves as a de facto Brotherhood propaganda platform. Turkish state media under Erdoğan has similarly amplified Brotherhood narratives.
Political power seizure: The Brotherhood participated in elections across Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Morocco, and Gaza. Hamas has governed Gaza since its 2007 coup against the Palestinian Authority.
Armed wings: The Brotherhood has founded, supported, or inspired Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and various Syrian rebel factions.
Affected Populations & IFC Desks
The Muslim Brotherhood's reach is global, directly impacting communities documented across multiple IFC regional desks.
