The Muslim Brotherhood is one of the largest Muslim groups in the world.
But their religious, social, and political goals have not always been a welcome presence
in Egypt.
Most recently, the deposed Egyptian President and a member of the Brotherhood, Mohammed
Morsi , was sentenced to 20 years in prison in what has been called a “sham” trial
by Amnesty International.
Here’s a timeline of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
March 1928: Hassan al-Banna founds the Muslim Brotherhood to promote Islam within the lower
class communities, and stand as opposition to British colonial rule in Egypt.
1948 - 1949: A member of the Muslim Brotherhood is accused of assassinating the Egyptian Prime
Minister.
Several months later, the Brotherhood’s founder is killed by alleged government agents.
1954: Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser outlaws the Brotherhood after an assassination
attempt and their members go into hiding.
A number are arrested and executed.
1971: President Anwar Sadat succeeds Nasser and is tolerant of the Brotherhood, although
the group remains outlawed.
1981: After Sadat is assassinated by Islamic extremists, his successor, Hosni Mubarak cracks
down on the group and denies them the ability to form an opposing political party.
February 2011: After a thirty year reign, Mubarak is deposed following the Egyptian
Revolution and the Brotherhood forms the Freedom and Justice Party to run for office.
June 30, 2012: Mohammed Morsi of the Brotherhood wins the presidency and grants himself unlimited
legislative and judicial power.
July 2013: Following army-backed protests, Morsi is arrested and removed from office.
The following month, the Brotherhoods’ supreme guide Mohammed Badie, is also arrested.
September 2013: The Brotherhood and their Freedom and Justice Party are banned and their
assets are seized.
They are declared a “terrorist group” by the interim government.
April 2015: Morsi is sentenced to twenty years in Prison for arresting and torturing protestors
outside the presidential palace in 2012.
Egypt’s crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood has been poorly received, with even the White
House dismissing allegations that the Brotherhood is a terrorist group.
The ban has raised fears of retaliation by members, which may lead to a sort of self-fulfilling
prophecy.
Egypt is struggling to deal with a lot more than internal politics.
To learn why they are destroying an entire city on the border with the Gaza strip, check
out this video from Seeker.
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