Lawmakers from both Democratic and Republican ranks are pushing for the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization. This development follows earlier reports of a surge in antisemitic attacks on American soil.
Reports indicate that the latest incident occurred on a Sunday, when an Egyptian man, Mohamed Soliman, stands accused of injuring more than a dozen people at a peaceful rally sponsored by a Jewish group in Boulder, Colorado. It has been reported that Soliman used Molotov cocktails and a makeshift flamethrower. Before the attack, Soliman allegedly praised the Muslim Brotherhood on social media.
To understand this fully, we should note that Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., addressed a letter to President Donald Trump on Tuesday. He urged a comprehensive investigation into the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization, according to the Jewish News Syndicate. “This action would align U.S. policy with that of several key partners and reinforce our commitment to combating extremist ideologies that threaten national and global security,” Moskowitz wrote in his letter.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, made a similar proposition. He announced his forthcoming reintroduction of a modernized version of the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act. Cruz first introduced this act back in 2014, according to JNS. “The Muslim Brotherhood uses political violence to achieve political ends and destabilize American allies,” Cruz told The Washington Free Beacon.
The Muslim Brotherhood is already designated as a terrorist organization by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Bahrain. However, the U.S. has not followed suit. The Trump administration considered sanctioning the group’s global affiliates during Trump’s first term, but a formal designation was not made.
Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, suggested that the Trump administration’s efforts to target terror factions tied to Iran could lay the groundwork for an expansion that covers the Muslim Brotherhood’s international affiliates. “Peace through strength is back in the White House, and we must continue signaling deterrence,” Hinson said.
This raises important questions about the evolving situation concerning the possible designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. The significance of this should not be overlooked.
