Kuwait to ban Muslim Brotherhood

The Kuwaiti Administrative Court on Tuesday adjourned till March 25 a lawsuit that calls for banning the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated “Social Reform Association” [Al-Islah], the Al-Arab newspaper said on Wednesday.

The newspaper explained that the objective of this case is to outlaw the Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait, represented by the civil society organisation Al-Islah.

Al-Islah is accused of mixing charity work with politics, both on the local and international levels.

The court case reflects the escalating crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in the Gulf due to its perceived role in the so-called Arab Spring.

Saudi Arabia has recently outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood, labelling it as a terrorist organisation. It imposed a strict ban on all activities supported by the group. However, the Muslim Brotherhood denied having any organization in Saudi Arabia. In a subsequent move, the three GCC countries Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Emirates recalled their Qatar ambassadors in protest of the Gulf nation’s alleged support for the Muslim Brotherhood and political Islam.

The recent Gulf escalation against the MB raises questions regarding the future of the group in the Gulf where it mostly engages in public charitable and social activities.

Mohamed Al-Dallal, member of the Islamic Constitutional Movement and defense lawyer in the current case against Al-Islah, said that the Saudi decision would have “repercussions on the entire region”, and that the recent decision to withdraw ambassadors aimed at exercising pressures on the MB in order to limit its activities and end its influence in the region.