In a significant development reflecting a radical shift in international policies toward political Islamist movements, Saudi Arabia welcomed the US decision to designate several branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon as terrorist organizations. This move, which comes amidst converging views between Riyadh and Washington, is not merely a punitive measure, but rather a revealing moment concerning the nature of an organization that has long been the subject of controversy regarding its true objectives and its relationship to violence.
Historical context and strategic shift
This decision was not made hastily, but rather was the culmination of a long process of monitoring and analyzing the behavior of the group, which was founded in 1928. From its inception, the group adopted a dual strategy combining public proselytizing with clandestine armed activity, a strategy that manifested itself in the establishment of the "Special Apparatus" in the 1940s. This latest US designation confirms the growing conviction among Western policymakers that the separation between the group's political and proselytizing wings is illusory, and that the organization's founding ideology serves as the intellectual incubator for many violent extremist movements around the world.
Insider testimony: Tharwat El-Kharbawi opens the black box
In this context, the testimony of the defected leader and lawyer Tharwat al-Kharbawi takes on exceptional importance. Al-Kharbawi, who spent many years within the organization's inner circles, believes that the American designation has placed the group before an unprecedented existential threat. In his interview, he asserts that the group received the decision with a state of "structural confusion," attempting to project a narrative of "victimhood" to its members to ensure internal cohesion, while secretly exploring legal avenues to challenge the decision.
The secret structure and the duality of discourse
Al-Kharbawi reveals a shocking truth about the group's decision-making process, asserting that the public leadership (including the Supreme Guide at times) is merely a facade to project a civil image, while in reality, affairs are managed by a "special organization" and a narrow elite that controls the group's key institutions according to a logic of absolute obedience. He points out that the duplicity of their rhetoric is not a temporary tactic but a deeply ingrained doctrine falling under what they call "the jurisprudence of weakness" and "the jurisprudence of empowerment," thus justifying the use of lies and political deception as legitimate tools in their struggle against regimes.
The Muslim Brotherhood as a "breeding ground" for extremism
One of the most serious points raised by al-Kharbawi is the organic relationship between the Muslim Brotherhood and transnational terrorist organizations. According to his testimony, the Brotherhood is the primary breeding ground from which leaders of organizations such as al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Takfir wal-Hijra have emerged. This connection is based on a shared intellectual framework derived from the writings of Sayyid Qutb on "sovereignty" and "the ignorance of society," ideas that formed the justification for using violence against the state and society.
Future repercussions: Between financial drying up and lone wolves
Al-Kharbawi paints bleak scenarios for the group's future after the classification, predicting radical shifts in its behavior:
- Financial drying up: The designation will paralyze the group’s financial system, forcing it to resort to cryptocurrencies and the informal “hawala” system to escape international oversight.
- Cluster transformation: The group will be forced to break up its large organizational structures into very small cluster cells to avoid security strikes.
- The danger of violence: Al-Kharbawi warns that existential pressure may push the group towards “strategic dormancy” and the activation of “lone wolves” to carry out retaliatory operations in the West, instead of conducting genuine intellectual reviews.
A message to young people: Beware of monopolizing religion
Al-Kharbawi concludes his remarks with a poignant message to young people sympathetic to the group, warning against reducing religion to a political organization. He urges them to uphold their right to critical thinking and not surrender their minds to leaders who sanctify the organization at the expense of the nation and religion. He emphasizes that his experience has proven that the group seeks power under the guise of religious outreach, and that leaving it, however difficult, is a victory for conscience and reason.
