The Muslim brothers (جمعيةالأخوانالمسلمون, jamiat Al-Ikhwan Al-muslimun , literally association of the Muslim brothers ) is an organization founded panislamist in 1928 in Egypt with an aim of founding large a Islamic state founded on the Charia based on the Sunna removed from the local cultural influences, in the spirit of the Salafisme. It quickly essaimé in the countries Musulman S of the Middle-East, in Sudan and to a lesser extent in North Africa, bench of the heads of bridge as far as Europe. Certain groups of partisans were constituted moving independent (Gama' has Al-Islamiya and Hamas, e.g.).

Its fundamental and sometimes violent opposition to the Arab laic States brought its prohibition or the limitation of its activities in certain countries (Syria, Egypt). The fight against the State of Israel is in the middle of the movement since its foundation, and the theorist of the armed Djihad, Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966), was one of his Egyptian members more in sight. Nevertheless, its various branches since condemned the recourse to violence apart from the combat Palestinian out of Holy Land. The movement maintains with the institutions promoting the alternating Saoudi Wahhabisme relations between the co-operation and the competition.

The nebula of the Muslim brothers would be coordinated by the Muslim Association off Britain located in London, which rests on the Banque Al-Taqwa. Nevertheless, according to X. Ternisien, it does not constitute a centralized pyramidal structure but moving heterogeneous, unstable and multiform. Since the Nineties, in Egypt where the movement became the principal party of opposition, the new guard declares respectful sovereignty of the people, democratic alternation and rights of the minorities - in contradiction with the original project of the movement, which she does not disavow either formally.

History

Association was founded in 1928 by Hassan el Banna in Egypt after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Determined to fight against the Western laic influence and the blind imitation of the European model, its goal was to found a great state Islamic founded on the application of the Charia.

At the time of the first congress of the party in 1933, the organization counted only 2.000 militants, one year later they are 40.000, and in 1943 the brotherhood counts more than 200.000 militants. The exponential growth of the movement lets think that the United Kingdom directly supported the development of the brotherhood.

In 1935, the organization returns in contact with Haj Amin Al Husseini, large the Mufti of Jerusalem, and takes part in the Palestinian insurrection of 1936. In 1945, Saïd Ramadan creates a Palestinian branch of the movement which aims to fight the organizations Zionists. The Muslim brothers are thus a fulgurating success and of many militants take part in the war of 1948 against the State of Israel.

In 1948, the December 28th, the organization assassinates Egyptian the Prime Minister for the time, Mahmud Fahmi Nokrashi. As reprisals, its founder Hassan el Banna is assassinated by the government officials the February 12th 1949. In beginning of the year 50, the United States is interested in the Muslim brothers like potential allies against Nasser and the establishment of Communist regimes or Socialists in the Middle East. Talcott Seelye, diplomat posts some in Jordan, meets Saïd Ramadan in 1953. According to a document of the German information, the Americans obtain a Jordanian diplomatic passport to him to facilitate its displacements. As of 1954, the brotherhood is dissolved by the Egyptian authorities. In 1957, Nasser, which fears for its person, again decides to prohibit the organization. Nearly 20.000 militants are imprisoned, of which the current number two of Al-Qaida, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Some, whose Saïd Ramadan, after having touched the ground in the neighbouring Arab countries, choose finally Europe like site of their new bases, with the financial aid of the Saoudis.

Starting from the middle of the Sixties, the Muslim brothers become again active in Israel. In the occupied territories, the Palestinian branch generates the Al-Moujamma Al-Islami, which will become in 1987 the Hamas. Al-Moujamma Al-Islami registers in its Charter the destruction of the State of Israel like central objective. The organization is devoted openly to social works and the construction of mosques, of which the number increases unceasingly in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip between 1967 and 1987. She resorts to the armed actions and the attacks, including suicide bombings. Its funding sources come mainly from the Saudi Arabia.

In Egypt in the Seventies, El-Sadate uses the Muslim brothers to make counterweight with the Extreme left and the future integration of the charia in the Egyptian laws promises to them. In 1978, the year of Camp David, they give up the support of the violent actions officially, except for the Palestinian Holy Land combat. Nevertheless, their partisans who do not share this position gather in other structures, as the Gama' has Al-Islamiya (Islamic Group) of which one of the members will assassinate El-Sadate in 1981. The Brothers will maintain the more or less close contacts according to the time with this organization which will make attacks against Western tourists in 1992 and in 1993. In addition, a clandestine armed wing is constituted as of beginning of the year 80. Some of its members try to infiltrate the government institutions, but the secular mode of Hosni Mubarak makes obstacle with the majority of the political schemes, except notable for certain currently infiltrated strategic trade unions of any share by the Muslim brothers, for example that of lawyers. In 1982, the press agencies of the Brothers are destroyed and the near total of their seized publications This same year, the president Syria N Hafez el-Assad eliminates the armed wing from the Muslim brothers, Al-Talia Al-Mukatila (Fighting Avant-garde) whose militants disperse in Saudi Arabia, in Jordan, with the Kuwait like in Afghanistan. The Muslim brothers remain in 2007 outlaws in this country where the membership of the organization is punished capital punishment.

In 1984, the Egyptian capacity recognizes the Brothers as a religious organization but the inscription as a political party refuses to them. The candidates frerists take part in the elections like independent or representatives of other parties. Their militants often express with other Egyptian movements of opposition against the capacity in place for the installation of constitutional reforms and for the end of the state of emergency. The organization endeavors to be present on the ground by helping the classes disadvantaged as much on the social plan as financial, providing them, inter alia, of the drugs or the loans of money.

In the Nineties, in Egypt, the brotherhood posts itself publicly like a respectful movement of the Démocratie. She publishes three important proclamations: one pleading in favor of “the essential democracy”, the other bearing on the rights of the minorities in particular of “our brothers and compatriots Copte S” and the third relating to “the statute of the woman”. These proclamations, in majority written by young members of the movement, are adopted by the brotherhood, but without much conviction on behalf of the old direction whose majority of the members are old of more than seventy years. For the young people, the old guard seems too preserving. In 1996, seventeen of them ask for officially the creation of a new political party, Al Wasat. Its founders have about the same age (between 35 and 45 years) and belong for the majority to the liberal professions: lawyers, Doctor S, Pharmacist S or Engineer S. They took part in the student's fights then trade-union of the time. Receptive with the planetary evolutions thanks to their displacements abroad where they take part in many conferences and conferences, they acquired an experiment which dug the gap between them and the elder ones of the brotherhood, but their deep religious conservatism compared to other young Moslems remains one their projecting features.

The founders of this new political party reproach to the leaders Muslim brothers their lack of modernity and their concepts antiquated. They propose, like alternative, the adoption of “a modernistic vision based, certainly, on the assets of the past, but centered over the challenges of twenty-and-unième century”. In opposition with their elder, they establish a rather liberal program, founded on the Coran but recognizing the evolutions of the company. They are in favor of a governmental system to the Western which respects all collective and individual freedoms, of the pluralist elections, political alternation and the primacy of the law. A copte, Rafiq Habib, wire of the president of the community Anglican of Egypt, is member of the committee founder of the party. But Al Wasat will finally never be born: the May 13rd 1996, the Egyptian authorities declare inadmissible its request for legalization. Two days after this rejection, the founders are stopped and submitted before the military High court.

The Eighties and Nineties also see a deployment of activity within the European mobility of the Muslim brothers, which creates several organizations (UOIE, UOIF, CEFR…) aiming at placing the Muslim communities in full growth under their influence, and endeavors to be recognized by the governments like representing official these communities. The Muslim brothers obtain clean financial institutions (Banque Al-Taqwa, Fonds European), the direct support of the Saoudi institutions like LIM having become random.

In 2007, recognizing their weight in the Middle East, the US government is interested again in an alliance with the Brothers. The State Department approves a policy of future contacts between American diplomats and leaders of the movement in the Arab countries.

Muslim brothers today

In Egypt

Although having 88 deputies semi-officially (out of 454) with the Parliament of the people (what makes them it first group of opposition), the Muslim brothers face a serious problem of government scheme. The brotherhood, which makes pass a religious message (Islamization of manners, clothing and culture) largely adopted by the company, does not manage to transform into political success this sympathy like her important network of members. Its main obstacle is its statute within the Egyptian state which makes of it a tolerated but nonlegal association. That enables him to introduce independent candidates to the legislative elections but never under its label. This handicap results from two factors: the refusal of the Egyptian capacity to attend the creation of a political party of the Muslim brothers and the democratic rejection of the rules of the game on behalf of certain members of the brotherhood. In spite of efforts, the association of the Muslim brothers is in full stagnation, incompetent to take the initiative vis-a-vis a capacity which handles them with the liking of its needs. Indeed, the Egyptian capacity tends to miser on the policy of carrot and the stick, slackening from time to time the pressure to use it like valve with popular anger against the Israeli policies and American with the the Middle East, then by tightening the screw while stopping, while torturing or by eliminating several from the members of the brotherhood.

For a few years, to conquer the capacity the Muslim brothers have applied a true metamorphosis. The majority of the members of the brotherhood did an important work on the level of their vestimentary and physical appearance. Equipped in costume with Western, they either are completely shaved, or wear a beard finely cut. They are for much resulting from the high schools, speak all several foreign languages and are presented from now on as democrats. According to one of the members of the brotherhood, Makram Al-Deiri, all the candidates with the legislative elections of the movement profited from an intensive formation to the techniques of communication, the strategies of persuasion and the art of the negotiations. Officially, the movement gave up any project of theocratic State , they say to take as model the Moroccan islamist movements which are known for their pragmatism. This, even if many political economists and journalists doubt, and put forward the idea it that they put an end temporarily to their project of theocratic republic not to make fear with the Egyptians and to seize the power without too much violence.

The logo of the brotherhood which consisted of two cross sabers was temporarily abandoned with the profit of a less aggressive logo, two hands united around a lump of earth where takes root a green growth.

The movement also chose not to fight directly more the mode of Mubarak. They thus voted for the renewal of Fathi Sorour (one of the high ranking officials of the mode) with the perch of the assembly of the people. They also applauded the speech of the president Mubarak the Parliament, and are in regular contact with the US government.

The European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center shows in February 2006 the brotherhood of the Muslim brothers to have organized the climbing in the business of the Caricatures of Mahomet of the newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

In the world

The movement of the Muslim brothers is a movement panislamic, the brotherhood thus has ramifications in the majority of the Moslem countries, like in many countries having a Moslem minority.

Syria

In Syria, the movement was founded in the Thirties by Syrian students, former members of the Egyptian Muslim brothers. The movement is not regarded as a political party, because for them, all the political parties are gatherings of atheists. The brotherhood plays a great part in Syria, it is the main force of opposition to the mode baathist, it is especially present in the big cities of the country, Hama, Homs and Damas, the popular classes form large manpower of the party.

The brotherhood is prohibited in Syria since the rebellion of Hama which occurred in 1982. The Muslim brothers tried to raise the population against the president Hafez el-Assad, but they failed, and the army repressed this revolt hard.

Since the law urgently voted in 1980, any person member of the movement incurs the capital punishment or the prison with perpetuity.

The brotherhood is not any more one political clout in Syria, but it maintains nevertheless a network of support carried out since London and Cyprus.

As in Egypt, the movement officially gave up violence, and asks for the installation of a democracy in Syria, where the multi-party system would be assured. The Syrian leader of the Muslim brothers is Ali Sadr AD-DIN Al-Bayanouni, which lives as a political refugee in London.

Palestine

See detailed article Hamas

The members of the brotherhood fought at the sides of the Arab armies during the Israeli-Arab Guerre of 1948. The brotherhood develops in the Gaza Strip, sets up a network of social assistance and makes build the Islamic university of Gaza.

The Mouvement of Islamic resistance (Hamas) east creates in 1987, it is specified in the charter of Hamas that " the Movement of Islamic resistance is one of the wings of the Muslim brothers in Palestine" .

The movement attracts itself the sympathy of part of the population, thanks to its program of social securities, they build schools, private clinics…

The party takes part in the legislative elections of 2006 and promises to restore safety, and to remove the country from corruption. Hamas gains the elections with 74 seats against 45 for the Fatah. A new government is formed, and Ismaël Haniyeh becomes its Prime Minister about it.

Jordan

The Jordanian branch of the Muslim brothers was created in 1942. It is the principal party of opposition of the country. It was the only Jordanian political party tolerated by the king Hussein. Twenty deputies of the Muslim brothers were elected at the Parliament in 1989.

The Jordanian brotherhood formed her political own party, the Islamic front of action. The party will refuse to take part in the legislative elections of the November 4th 1997, to protest against the reform of the way of voting. With the last legislative elections of the June 17th 2003, the party obtained 20 seats out of the 84 to provide. And as in Egypt, the party militates so that constitutional reforms are installation, the party asks the independence of the Jordanian Parliament, for the abolition of the majority poll, the economic reforms and the adoption of the Freedom of expression.

Iraq

The Iraqi branch of the Muslim brothers is the Islamic party of Iraq created at the end of the years 1950. The group entered in clandestinity after the accession of the Baath party to the capacity.

With the fall of Saddam Hussein, the party re-examines the day, and is done carries it word of the community sunnite of the country. The party after having introduced 275 candidates for the legislative elections of January 2005, calls upon the boycott, to protest against the military operations carried out by the American army to Falloujah. Then, the party is more strongly implied in the national political life, to promote the community sunnite in the governmental authorities. The party invited to vote " Oui" at the time of the referendum for the ratification of the new Iraqi constitution. The movement also has a television channel, named " Bagdad". The leader of the party is Târiq Al-Hâchimî.

Saudi Arabia

The Muslim brothers, have political dissensions with the Saoudi capacity wahabbites . The party is tolerated by the mode, and maintains its presence in the country.

Sudan

The Muslim brothers exist with the Sudan since 1949. Hassan Al-Tourabi, the leader of the brotherhood had approached the Sudanese dictatorial capacity, but is now opposed to the president Omar to el-Béchir.

Kurdistan

Kurdish Islamic parties are more or less close to the Muslim brothers, according to their country of origin. In the Iraqi Kurdistan, the Islamic Union of Kurdistan is present at the Kurdish Parliament, but remains minority vis-a-vis secular parties like the patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Democratic party of Kurdistan.

In Europe

It is in the Fifties, following their vexations in Egypt and in the Middle East, that the Muslim brothers unload in Europe, always with the project to constitute bases of Islamization. Most known of them, Saïd Ramadan, obtains for that of the prince Fayçal the insurance of a financial support. The Cold war supports the benevolence of certain governments with respect to the enemies of socialism and they are not worried, sometimes even discreetly constant. They will be established and developed - without however constituting itself in association bearing their name - in synergy, but also in competition with other factions ideologically close, the Wahhabite S and the partisans of Maududi. The first finance most of their companies. They are also based on a base of Moslems resulting from the Close relation and the Middle East come to Europe to make their studies.

In 1961, S. Ramadan, assisted of Pakistani, founds the Islamic Center of Geneva and takes about the same period the head of an Islamic organization of Munich (future Islamische Gemeinschaft in Deutschland) intended for Moslem defectors of the Red Army . The recipients of origin give up the ground with the partisans Arabic-speaking people of Ramadan, which will direct the organization until in 1968, when it is évincé by its partner Ghaleb Hammit. Geneva and Munich are the first two European bases of the Brothers. Another attempt at recovery of an existing project, intended this time for Indian veterans, takes place in 1964 in London, with less success seems it. The ground is occupied by the Pakistani partisans of Maududi and their Islamic Mission. Always represented by Saïd Ramadan, the Muslim brothers play a big role in the foundation in 1962 of the world Islamic Ligue, organization Saoudi which will finance them mainly.

From the Seventies, the Saoudis intervene directly in European Islam, establishing their own centers and mosques financed by the world League, sometimes at the expense of the institutions frerists. In 1973, the Muslim brothers take part in the foundation of the Islamic Council of Europe, but it is especially in the years 80 qu' they reconsider the front of the scene with the foundation of UOIE and of UOIF (1983), emanation of the preceding one Although these two organizations are not recognized officially like satellites of FM, they are based primarily on the Al ideologies Banna, Qutb and Maududi, like on the Al Qardawi fatwas. Fouad Alaoui often admits meeting Al-Houweidi, “ambassador” of the Brothers in Europe. In addition, the UOIF shares the project panislamic of the Muslim brothers.

In 1988 is founded the Banque Al Taqwa based with the the Bahamas, in Suisse and with the Liechtenstein, which includes/understands like shareholders, inter alia, G. Hammit and Youssef Al Qardawi; it becomes the principal financial institution of the movement. Discrete, its role is highlighted as from 2001 when it belongs to the financial institutions suspected of helping terrorism. In 1996, the difficulties of financing coming from the Gulf, consequence of a more severe monitoring, bring the creation of the Funds European (European Trust) whose six administrators belong to the UOIE. The two organizations have for one period the same director, Ahmed Al Rawi.

In 1997 see the day the European Council of the fatwa (Dublin) directed by Al Qardawi and the Muslim association of Great Britain. The first organization, on which the UOIE and the UOIF rest, was given for mission of emitting fatwas especially intended for the Moslems living in Europe so that they can remain completely controlled by the charia. Second is to reinforce the frerist presence vis-a-vis the other powerful British Islamic organizations like British Muslim Council. Two training institutes of Imam S related on the UOIE and the UOIF are created: the European Institute of the social sciences of Castle-Chinon (1990) and European Institute for Humanitarian and Islamic Studies in the United Kingdom. In addition, two sons of Saïd Ramadan, not officially members of FM but declared disciples of Hassan el Banna, exert as preachers and activists. Hani Ramadan, director of the center Islamic of Geneva since 1995 and employed by the UJM is active in Switzerland and in France, Tariq Ramadan has a great audience in Switzerland, France and Great Britain.

Since their resurgence, the Muslim brothers compete with other islamist groups to be recognized like privileged interlocutors of the European governments and subcontractor official of the Islamic businesses. They seek to position into moderate compared to their competitor (wahhabites, néo- salafis, Taghlib S, deobands), while being combined with them in certain companies. According to a technique which proved reliable in other areas, associations frerists endeavor to be most present on the ground.

Ideology

The main objective of the Muslim brothers is the introduction of religious modes ultra-conservatives within the Moslem countries. The organization preaches the creation of Islamic Republics in Egypt, Libya, Syria, or in Tunisia as a combatant violently the modes in place. The Muslim brothers thus oppose the laic and secular currents of the Muslim nations and recommend a return to the precepts of the Coran, implying a rejection of the Western influences as much that influences soufies which they recommend an adaptation of Coran to time. The watchword of the organization is: “ Allah - Arabic God is our objective. The Prophète Mahomet is our chief. The Coran is our law. The Djihad - war “right”, called Holy war improperly - is our way. To die in the ways of Allah is our greater hope ”. There exists since 1944 a female branch: Moslem ladies .

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