Iraq: the Muslim Brotherhood is not a terrorist organization

Shafaq News / The Iraqi National Security Council refused, on Saturday, to label the Muslim Brotherhood as a "terrorist organization."

A document by the Iraqi National Security Adviser Qassem Al-Araji stated that, as a response to Egypt request to include the Muslim Brotherhood on the terrorism list in the Arab League, the National Security Council decided on August 4, 2020, not to vote on labeling the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group. "

According to Reuters, The Brotherhood, which estimates its membership at up to 1 million people, came to power in Egypt’s first modern free election in 2012, a year after long-serving autocrat and U.S. ally Hosni Mubarak was toppled in a popular uprising.

As Egypt’s army chief in 2013, Sisi engineered the removal of elected President Mohamed Mursi, a senior Brotherhood figure, and a subsequent crackdown on its supporters as well as liberal opposition in Egypt. Sisi was then elected president in 2014.

After Mursi’s overthrow, the Brotherhood was swiftly banned in Egypt. Authorities declared it a terrorist organization and jailed thousands of followers as well as much of its leadership, including Mursi.

The Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928, says it is a non-violent movement and denies any relationship to violent insurgencies waged by al Qaeda and Islamic State militants.

“We will remain ... steadfast in our work in accordance with our moderate and peaceful thinking,” the Brotherhood said in a statement on its website.