Trump and the Muslim Brotherhood

With the end of the Obama era, two things have already shown that there will be changes in US politics. They suggest the type of policies that may dominate under President Donald Trump with regards to the Middle East.

The first was a report issued by the US National Intelligence Council on 9 January, which indicated that global conflicts are expected to increase in the next five years. The increase in violence is being attributed to several key factors, including the adventurous steps taken by China and Russia and the rise of regional conflicts, terrorism, climate change and economic disparities in countries around the world. If we take into account that the NIC exists primarily to formulate assessments of America’s 17 intelligence agencies, we should consider that not everything that it publishes is regarded as important to the US administration when considering possible changes in global variables.

What is worth noting in the NIC report is the emphasis placed on America’s new found closeness to Russia and China, and the development of this relationship in order to engage with global crises and the “war against terrorism”. This confirms the statements already made by President Trump, who has emphasised the importance of improving relations with Russia and cooperation in combatting terror.

In addition, two Republican Senators, Ted Cruz and Mario Diaz-Balart, are working to have the Muslim Brotherhood placed on the list of terrorist organisations. The House Judiciary Committee is set to approve this matter on the 25th February. The bill is pushing for the US State Department to designate the Brotherhood as an organisation whose “objective is the destruction of Western civilisation.” This move matches claims made by Rex Tillerson, who is set to become Trump’s nominee for US Secretary of State. Tillerson told the US Congress that his objective will be to destroy both Daesh and the Muslim Brotherhood should he assume office.

Both points have the potential for dangerous and sensitive implications on the future of our world, particularly the Middle East. The cards have been shuffled and civilisational differences and humanist understandings have been mixed, so we need to shed some light on the issue.

If the Trump administration does classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation based on its ideology, a dangerous precedent will be set, one that infringes on both the public and private rights of individuals. People, groups and even political parties will be judged solely on the intentions behind their thoughts rather than their actions. This will be a dark, downward spiral; a form of political terrorism against a moderate ideology to which many Islamic groups subscribe, especially the Muslim Brotherhood, which has long prided itself on its intellectual pursuit of ideology and philanthropic contributions to society as a way to reach the Muslim community; importantly, the movement also believes in democratic processes as a means to achieve political positions.

The moderate approach of the Muslim Brotherhood was confirmed by the 2015 report commissioned by the British government, which refused to classify the movement as a terrorist organisation after a long investigation. The basis of any such classification by the US would thus have to be questionable. In any case, anti-Brotherhood legislation would target individuals, NGOs and businesses around the world on the pretext of their alleged affiliation with the group. Thousands will be threatened in the US, Europe and other parts of the world, let alone the Middle East. Based on intelligence reports of politicised experiences after the Iraq war, such a classification would create a severe crisis within Western societies which serve as homes to millions of Muslims. The very notion of coexistence and integration would be lost and an ideologically-racist apartheid wall would be erected on the basis of religion or cultural identity. Chaos and extreme nationalist movements would be unleashed throughout Europe and the West.

This is no mean threat. According to statistics released in 2011, there are 16 million Muslims in the European Union, and 44 million Muslims in Europe at large excluding Turkey. That is around 6 per cent of Europe’s total population. A study conducted by New York University said that there are approximately 3 million Muslims in the US from various backgrounds.

The Russia-US intersection in the “War on Terror” — seeing Islamists in accordance with the standard, stereotypical image — will give rise to a clash of civilisations once again, not least because Russia classified the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation back in July 2008. The memory of the Crusades will be restored and it will affect the relationship between Christians and Muslims, which will go on to affect the moderate platforms of Islamic parties, including the Brotherhood. The youth sectors of such groups in particular will be forced to re-evaluate their positions in terms of the approach of their style and tools on the domestic front. They will be forced to deal with mounting domestic crises differently as they will be judged as terrorist groups.

The current inclinations in the US Congress, if translated into new political decisions, will exacerbate the current crises of religion and freedom in the Middle East generally. Declaring the largest formal Islamic movement in the world to be a terrorist organisation will certainly create even more tension in the countries that have already done so — Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which acted thus due to American pressure. The US has only poured more fuel on the fire that has been raging since the Arab revolutions.

The expansion and continued targeting of what is known as moderate Islam in the region will only deepen the rift between the regimes, the people and moderate Islamic parties. It will destroy any hope that is left for coexistence and the possibility for true nationalist governments. We will enter the realm of uncertainty that will come as a response to aggressive US policies.

The attempt to lead the Middle East into further regional chaos, by destroying what is left of moderate political platforms, will give way to a transition of power in Israeli policy. Israel is undoubtedly a beneficiary of what is going on in the region. It is awaiting with eagerness Trump’s decision to transfer the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, with his administration recognising Israeli sovereignty over the city. Such a move will eliminate any prospect for Palestinian statehood and landmarks based on UN resolutions 242 and 338. The possibility of viable statehood has already been rendered impractical after the occupation’s virtual and actual annexation of nearly 60 per cent of the occupied West Bank, making it impossible to imagine the Palestinian Right of Return for refugees. Israel has been taking advantage of the regional chaos and the global preoccupation with events and crises in Arab countries.

US government policies under President Obama fuelled sectarian conflicts in Iraq, Yemen and Syria. Washington has targeted the Turkish government with the failed coup, by attempting to weaken its stability through security-related matters and its economic plight. The goal is to undermine the experience of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). There is much cause for concern about US policies under President Trump, especially those relating to Islam, political Islam and the interests of Muslim majority countries (and, we might add, Muslims living in the US itself).

One must not be fooled by the soft speech used to refer to the region because the concept of “terrorism” has long been used in the collective American psyche to destroy the Middle East and eliminate any opportunity for growth and development. This is the cost of continued Western dominance and the work of its ally, Israel.

Translated from Alkhaleejonline, 18 January, 2017

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.