The consequences of describing the Brotherhood as terrorists

Donald Trump has not hidden his extreme hostility towards Islam and Muslim groups. He always describes the Muslims as terrorists and uses loose terms that encapsulate everyone. It is unfortunate that he, along with the Zionist lobby and new right-wing, are trying to pass a bill in Congress that classifies the Muslim Brotherhood, the largest political-Islam movement in the world, as terrorists without clear evidence.

Human Rights Watch has warned Trump of the repercussions of passing such a draconian law:

If the US government designates the Muslim Brotherhood a foreign terrorist group, then not only its members, but anyone either in the United States or abroad suspected of providing support or resources to the group would be at risk of removal from the US if they are non-citizens and having their assets frozen. If the United States designates the Muslim Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organisation, US allies that have not reached a similar conclusion would probably feel pressure to change their stances, and governments already hostile to the Muslim Brotherhood would have an excuse for politically motivated repression.

Further

The Muslim Brotherhood is an international Islamic social and political movement with numerous independent political parties, charities, and offices in the Middle East, Europe, and elsewhere … .By calling for the entire group to be designated as a terrorist organization, the Trump administration is making an extraordinarily broad policy determination that will harm the participation of Muslim groups in democratic processes.

These are some of the consequences of the American position seeking to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation. This position consists of infringement on the truth and reality on the ground, and holds political, Zionist, and extremist right-wing motives. The Muslim Brotherhood is a social and political advocacy movement and was never a military movement. It never killed one American civilian since its inception over 100 years ago.

The Muslim Brotherhood has done everything in its power to remain a movement that believes in the peaceful democratic change of tyrannical regimes in the Arab and Muslim worlds that receive support from Washington. Trump’s policy and vision are considered a grave danger not only to the Muslim Brotherhood, but also to the rights of Muslims in general and to humanity and world stability.

Translated from Felesteen, 5 March 2017 

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