Trump discusses designating the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organization

President Trump discussed with his national security team and some Arab leaders his intention of putting the Muslim Brotherhood movement on the US list of foreign terrorist organizations, according to the White House Spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders. This attempt follows the visit of Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi to Washington and his meeting with President Trump.

According to New York Times report, the Trump administration has directed the national security adviser, John Bolton, and other diplomats to propose ways to impose sanctions on the Islamist political movement.

The designation of the movement on the list of terrorist organizations will make it a target for the United States’ sanctions and restrictions, including travel ban and other restrictions on economic activities.

The Muslim Brotherhood responds to Trump’s attempts of listing it as a terrorist organization

The Muslim Brotherhood announced on Tuesday, April 30 2019, that it is studying and following up on what the White House spokeswoman stated regarding Trump’s intention to include the movement on the US terrorist lists after he met Al-Sisi at the White House.

In a statement published on its official website, the movement said that “such a news has been discussed repeatedly over the past years, while the United States keeps on ignoring Al-Sisi’s brutal actions; from breaking laws to sentencing hundreds of Egyptians to death without trials”. It added that “the crimes committed by Al-Sisi do not only target the Muslim Brotherhood members, but all Egyptians without exception. It is not an exaggeration to say that Al-Sisi’s brutality extends to the entire region, while he keeps ignoring the popular rejection of his actions”.

The movement knows that “some of those involved in the American decision-making are fully aware of the effects such a decision could have on the Muslim Brotherhood”, according to the statement, and “the movement will continue to cooperate with the people of the region in accordance with its “moderate and peaceful” approach to serve all communities and even humanity as a whole and it will remain stronger than what it has been in the past.

The Muslim Brotherhood of Syria: The classification of the movement as a “terrorist” organization will not serve the stability of the region

In a statement published on Thursday, May 2 2019, on its official Facebook page, the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria commented on the statement of the White House spokeswoman and the media report concerning the intention of the US administration to include the movement on its terrorist lists and warned that such a move “will not support the stability of the region, but to the contrary it will open the door for the expansion of radical and extremist ideas sponsored by some tyrannical regimes. ”

The movement also called on “the parties that are in support of the US attempt to work instead on supporting dialogue and mutual understanding for the common good”.

In the same context, the movement stated that “the ideas based on which it was founded are public and available for everyone and assured a moderate thinking that calls for tolerance, coexistence, and good preaching, totally distinct from extremism and terrorism.” And added “the movement’s literature, statements, and positions consistently emphasize the renunciation of terrorism, and the need to confront it and root out its causes and, at the same time, emphasize the rejection of tyranny, the need for an atmosphere of freedom and democracy for the people, and the consolidation of the idea of independence of the national decision.”

The group concluded its statement by saying that “Syria today suffers from several obvious and explicit terrors; the terrorism of Bashar Assad’s regime, the terrorism of the Iranian and Russian occupiers, and the terrorism of extremist groups such as Dahesh and others.”

The Muslim Brotherhood of Algeria praises the anti-corruption campaign and calls on the army to respond to the demands of the popular movement

The Movement of Society for Peace (MSP) praised the trial of some symbols of the former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s regime, including his brother Said Bouteflika.

In a statement published on Sunday, May 5, 2019, on its Facebook page, the movement said that the reason behind the spread of corruption in all state institutions is the former political system, which deprived the Algerians from carrying out their will. That’s why proceeding with the democratic path is a must so the models of corruption do not replicate.

The movement praised the initiative taken by the military institution to fight corrupt statesmen. However, at the same time, it stressed on the necessity to build strong and credible parliamentarian, judicial, and communal institutions as to prevent the spread of corruption again. The movement also called on the leadership of the military council to respond to the popular movement demanding the resignation of  the head of the government, Noureddine Badawi, the President of the Council of the Nation, Abdelkader bin Saleh, and the President of the Constitutional Council, Tayeb Belaiz, and to realize a smooth democratic transition that embodies the will of the people through free and fair elections.

The statement considered that the interest of the country and its prosperity and development lies in the establishing of a genuine civil political system instead of a façade democracy that is all about conflicts between ethnicities and axises.

The movement also stated that the interest of the military institution, as well as the guarantee for the continuation of the credibility and unity established between this institution and the people during the popular movement, lies in a true, sincere and smooth democratic transition and its political non-alignment.