• March 18, 2006
  • 6 minutes read

Muslim Brotherhood, An Archetype of Militant Islamist Groups?

Muslim Brotherhood, An Archetype of Militant Islamist Groups?

Since its conception in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood has always struggled to revive Islam and apply its noble principles in the daily life of ordinary Muslims. The wake up call by the Muslim Brothers touched upon the hearts and minds of millions of Muslims around the world. The Muslim Brotherhood helped spreading a spirit of moderate conservatism across Islamic societies.

 

 

 

In his article “Role-Model for Muslim Youths throughout Europe, Portrait Tariq Ramadan”, J?rg Lau wrote “..in 1928, his (Tarek Ramadan) Egyptian grandfather, Hassan al-Banna, founded the Muslim Brotherhood, the archetype of all militant Islamist groups”.

The word “archetype” in English means an original model on which something is patterned which I believe is not an accurate depiction of reality. Indeed, one of the most widely circulated myths about the Muslim Brotherhood in the West is the allegation that the Muslim Brotherhood is the source of militant Islamic groups in the Middle East and worldwide, something that implies a similar ideology. In fact, militant Islamist groups are anything but patterned on the Muslim Brotherhood model. The striking ideological differences between the Muslim Brotherhood and militant Islamic groups are the reasons these groups are separate entities in the first place, not integral parts of the Muslim Brotherhood. One cannot confuse groups that are legitimately fighting an illegal foreign occupation with those who commit random acts of violence killing innocent civilians and cause profound destruction.

Since its conception in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood has always struggled to revive Islam and apply its noble principles in the daily life of ordinary Muslims. The wake up call by the Muslim Brothers touched upon the hearts and minds of millions of Muslims around the world. The fact is that the Muslim Brotherhood helped spreading a spirit of moderate conservatism across Islamic societies. Instead of capitalizing on this new positive spirit steeping in society to better their countries, the ruling regimes saw the Islamic revival as a mere threat to their survival in power. It was clearly the lack of freedoms and the waves of torture and killings by oppressive and unjust regimes against a growing number of conservative and none violent young Muslim men that resulted in creating violent tendencies by a minority among them whose beliefs have deviated from the real teachings of Islam inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood, and adopted a violent approach for change. Muslim Brothers themselves and throughout history, have been the victim of state militancy which was marked by the assassination of Hassan El-Bana, founder, in broad daylight in the middle of Cairo by Egyptian monarchy. Despite the constant targeting of the Muslim Brotherhood activists and sympathizers by “pr-emptive” arrests and torture, we will never advocate violence in response. We believe in reform “in the spirit of Islam based on the principles of democracy and the rule of law”. This will remain our only path and we shall be victorious, God Willing.

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Khaled Salam,

Editor