Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Vows to Continue ‘Peaceful’ Work As Trump Seeks to Blacklist Islamist Group

The Egyptian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood vowed to continue operating in line with its “moderate and peaceful thinking,” after reports surfaced that US President Donald Trump is spearheading efforts to designate the group a foreign terrorist organization. Founded in Egypt in 1928, the Brotherhood assumed power in Cairo in 2012, a year after decades-long strongmen Hosni Mubarak was toppled during the Arab Spring uprisings. However, Egyptians soon thereafter launched a counter-revolution—following moves by then-president Mohamed Morsi to consolidate the Brotherhood’s rule—that eventually propelled Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to the country’s highest office. Sisi has since cracked down on the Brotherhood, blacklisting it and jailing many of its leaders and proponents. During a recent trip to Washington, Sisi reportedly lobbied Trump to proscribe the group, a move already taken by various Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia. Many analysts argue that the Brotherhood’s ideology spawned terrorist groups such as al-Qa’ida and Islamic State.