The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in 1928 in Egypt, by schoolteacher Hassan alBanna, who sought to revive the Islamic world through social activism, religious education, and political mobilization. Initially framed as a reformist movement, the Brotherhood gradually evolved into a highly organized political network with branches and sympathizers across the Arab and Muslim world.
By the 1940s and 1950s, the Brotherhood had already established a military wing and became deeply involved in political confrontations in Egypt. Later, under the influence of ideologues such as Sayed Qotb, its doctrine increasingly embraced political Islam, advocating for governance based on a rigid interpretation of Islamic law.
Over the decades, the Brotherhood positioned itself not merely as a religious movement, but as a transnational political project with localized branches and affiliated organizations in numerous countries, including Jordan, Kuwait, Palestine (through Hamas), Tunisia, and others.
Why Is the Muslim Brotherhood Viewed as a Threat?
Across the Middle East, several countries have classified the Muslim Brotherhood as a threat to national security. Their concerns stem from the group’s ideology, political strategies, and tendency to exploit democratic openings to consolidate power.
The dangers of the brotherhood’s ideology were regionally enhanced through the group’s political rise in Egypt that peaked with the 2012 election of Mohamed Morsi. However, their rule was marked by political polarization, accusations of attempts to dominate state institutions, and growing public discontent.
In 2013, millions of Egyptians took to the streets, culminating in the removal of Morsi and the restoration of stability under President AbdelFattah alSisi. Egypt subsequently designated the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
The United Arab Emirates was among the earliest Gulf nations to classify the Brotherhood and its local affiliates as terrorist entities. UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Gargash, in a recent CNN interview, emphasized that “the Brotherhood undermines the stability of states by placing loyalty to a transnational ideological movement ahead of loyalty to the nation.”
He further stressed that the UAE’s approach is driven by national security, noting that “political Islam groups have exploited religion for power, and this cannot be allowed to threaten the future of our societies.” Saudi Arabia has likewise banned Brotherhood activities, citing their destabilizing agenda.
In Bahrain, the Brotherhood’s influence has traditionally been limited to charity and social activities through groups such as Al Eslah Society. Politically, however, entities associated with the Muslim Brotherhood once held a notable presence in the 2002, 2006, and 2010–2011 parliamentary cycles. Al Menbar Islamic Society, widely regarded as the political extension of Al Eslah served for years as the movement’s parliamentary arm, reflecting the same ideological foundations while Al Eslah focused on religious and charitable work. In the terms that followed, their political influence steadily declined, eventually resulting in their complete electoral loss.
Over time, the Brotherhood aligned Al Menbar, once influential, saw its representation diminish election after election and today holds no formal seats in the Council of Representatives. While some observers suggest that a small number of MPs may still reflect strands of Sunni political Islam, the Brotherhood as an organized current has an extremely narrow footprint in Bahraini politics.
More broadly, Bahrain’s Parliament has become far more diverse in composition, with both Sunni and Shia religious political entities losing ground. The Shia opposition group Al Wefaq, once dominant, is no longer present, while Sunni Islamist blocs such as Al Menbar and the Salafist Al Asalah have very limited representation. This shift reflects a growing public awareness of the true nature and limitations of political Islamist groups, whether Sunni or Shia, and a broader national preference for moderation, pragmatism, and civil politics.
Even Kuwait, once seen as a more open environment for Brotherhood branches, has in recent years introduced tighter restrictions on political societies, funding channels, and external affiliations. This reflects growing regional consensus that transnational Islamist networks should not determine local political dynamics.
The Brotherhood’s Links to the Islamic Republic
A key concern today is the Brotherhood’s ideological and operational connection to Hamas, which identifies itself as the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Over the past decade, despite sectarian differences, Hamas has maintained strategic ties with the Islamic Republic, receiving financial and military support. This demonstrates the Brotherhood’s pragmatic willingness to align with external powers, including the Islamic Republic, when politically advantageous.
For Gulf states and Egypt, this connection reinforces why the Brotherhood is perceived not simply as a political opposition group, but as a transnational network capable of threatening national sovereignty.
On November 27, Australia designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a state sponsor of terrorism after investigations linked it to extremist attacks in Melbourne and Sydney. The move highlights growing international recognition of Iran’s destabilizing proxy networks and reinforces global efforts to treat state backed extremist groups with the same seriousness as traditional terrorist organizations.
Threat to Regional Stability
The Brotherhood promotes a political ideology that seeks to reshape states in accordance with rigid, exclusionary forms of political Islam. In practice, this has often produced attempts to dominate institutions rather than participate constructively, polarization and sectarian tension, and challenges to state authority.
The Brotherhood’s strategy often includes funding seemingly moderate religious figures, youth activities, and social institutions to build influence gradually.
The Gulf region is undergoing profound social transformation, most visibly in Saudi Arabia under the extraordinary reforms led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. While the UAE recognized early on the dangers posed by political Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood, Bahrain, despite its more secular governance structure, historically allowed greater space for political activity by certain religious groups, a space that was later exploited, as the events of 2011 and the subsequent years demonstrated.
Today, it is clear that our region is not prepared for Islamist political activism presented under the banner of democratization. Whether Shia or Sunni, Islamist groups do not pave the way for democracy, contrary to assumptions made by some analysts and observers in the West. The dangers associated with extremist religious political ideologies are not limited to the Muslim Brotherhood; other movements, despite ideological differences, pose similar threats to a region that is now increasingly shaped by young, moderate, and forward looking thought. The Gulf is moving toward a future where extremism is rightly marginalized, and in this context, any collective measures, such as recent steps by the Trump administration to constrain the influence of these groups are widely welcomed and understood as vital for regional stability.
The US Government’s decision to designate certain chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist entities represents a significant shift in Washington’s approach. This designation restricts the Brotherhood’s funding, international mobility, and political lobbying in the United States, especially complicating its ability to support organizations like Hamas.
Preventing a repeat of past tragedies, whether Iran in 1979 or Egypt’s turbulent 2012–2013 period, requires firm, coordinated action and constant vigilance.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s long history, transnational ideology, and connection to groups like Hamas make it a significant challenge for governments across the Middle East. The US designation is an important step in aligning global efforts to curb extremist political Islam and protect the security and stability of the region.