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Islamist groups · Guide

The Muslim Brotherhood: goals, history, bans and entryism

What the Muslim Brotherhood is, what it wants, who leads it and where it is banned or designated as of October 2026, with the 2025 French report and the 2015 UK review.

2,465 words · · Every claim sourced · Download the booklet (PDF)

The short answer. The Muslim Brotherhood is a Sunni Islamist movement, founded in Egypt in 1928, that wants societies governed by Islamic law. Most of its branches work through preaching, charity and politics rather than armed force, but one offshoot, Hamas, is a designated terrorist organisation. As of October 2026 Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Russia and Jordan ban it, the United States has designated four national chapters as terrorist, and the UK, the EU and Australia have not banned it.

Key facts #

  • The Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna, who called for the moral reform of individual Muslims and, in time, their political unification in a Caliphate under sharia law.1
  • Its famous formula, attributed to al-Banna, runs: "Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our Leader. The Qur'an is our Constitution. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope."2
  • On 13 January 2026 the US Treasury designated the Egyptian and Jordanian chapters as Specially Designated Global Terrorists for supporting Hamas, and the State Department announced the Lebanese chapter's designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, effective 14 January. The movement as a whole was not designated.3
  • On 8 October 2026 the European Parliament voted 381 to 167, with 15 abstentions, for a resolution asking EU states to consider listing Brotherhood-linked groups as terrorist. It is not binding.4
  • A French government report of May 2025 counted 139 places of worship affiliated with the Brotherhood-linked federation Musulmans de France, 68 more "close" to it, and 21 schools with about 4,200 pupils linked to the wider Brotherhood movement.5
  • The UK's 2015 Jenkins review found the Brotherhood had "for the most part" preferred non-violent, incremental change, but was prepared to countenance violence "where gradualism is ineffective". The UK did not ban it.1
  • The movement's General Guide, Mohamed Badie, was arrested in Egypt in August 2013 and has received life sentences. Salah Abdel Haq was reported as acting general guide in January 2026.6

What is the Muslim Brotherhood? #

The Muslim Brotherhood is the oldest and most influential modern Islamist organisation. Hassan al-Banna, a schoolteacher in Ismailia, founded it in March 1928. It grew into a mass movement of schools, clinics and youth units, and by the late 1940s it ran a secret armed wing.7

The UK's 2015 review recorded that al-Banna "accepted the political utility of violence" and that the Brotherhood carried out political assassinations in his lifetime.1 Egypt's prime minister dissolved the Society in December 1948 and a Brotherhood member shot him dead that month. Al-Banna was himself shot in Cairo on 12 February 1949.7

Nasser dissolved the Society in 1954 and jailed many members. Its thinker Sayyid Qutb was executed in 1966; the UK review said his thinking "has inspired many terrorist organisations, including the assassins of Sadat, Al Qaida and its offshoots". In the 1970s the Egyptian Brotherhood officially disowned violence in return for freedom to organise.1

Mohamed Morsi, a Brotherhood leader, won Egypt's presidency in 2012. The army deposed him on 3 July 2013. On 14 August 2013 security forces cleared the Rab'a al-Adawiya sit-in, killing at least 817 people and likely more than 1,000, according to Human Rights Watch.8 Egypt banned the movement, and in December 2013 declared it terrorist.16

Is the Muslim Brotherhood Sunni or Shia? #

The Muslim Brotherhood is Sunni. Al Jazeera calls it "the oldest political Islamist group in the Arab world".9 It is separate from the Shia networks led by Iran; see the guide to Hezbollah and Iran. Hamas, which began as a Brotherhood branch, has nonetheless received Iranian money, put by the US State Department at about $100 million a year.41

What is the Muslim Brotherhood's goal, motto and charter? #

The goal is a society ordered by Islamic law. Al Jazeera summarises al-Banna's vision as "a universal Islamic system of rule".9 The 2015 UK review put the end-point as a Caliphate under sharia law.1 See what an Islamist wants and the caliphate guide.

The Brotherhood has no single founding charter like the Hamas Covenant; historians work from al-Banna's epistles and memoirs.7 Its best-known statement of aims is the motto quoted above, which a crowd chanted after Morsi's election in 2012, the Algemeiner reported.210

Two texts are often cited and both are contested. In 2002 the cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi wrote that Islam "will return to Europe as a conqueror and victor", and that the conquest "will not be by the sword but by preaching and ideology".11 "The Project" is a 1982 plan, found in a 2001 Swiss police raid, for an Islamic government by stages. Its author is unknown and it has not been shown to be Brotherhood policy; the Georgetown Bridge Initiative gives the critical view.12

Who is the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood? #

The formal head is the General Guide, Mohamed Badie, who took the post in 2010. Egypt arrested him in August 2013. By February 2015 three courts had given him three life terms, and two death sentences had been overturned on appeal.13 In practice the movement has been led by acting guides and has split into rival camps.

Salah Abdel Haq was elected acting general guide in March 2023, succeeding Ibrahim Munir. His rival, Mahmoud Hussein, rejected the appointment.14 In January 2026 Abdel Haq was still described as acting guide when he said the group "categorically rejects" the US designations.15 As of October 2026 I found no later change.

Where is the Muslim Brotherhood banned? #

Five states outlaw or designate the Brotherhood as a whole, and the United States has listed national chapters. The table gives each measure's status as of October 2026.

Country or body What was done Date Status, October 2026
Egypt Cabinet declared the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation; membership alone can bring up to five years in prison16 25 December 2013 In force
Saudi Arabia Listed as a terrorist organisation alongside ISIL, the Nusra Front and the Houthis17 7 March 2014 In force
UAE Cabinet list of about 80 groups included the Brotherhood and local affiliates18 15 November 2014 In force
Russia Supreme Court banned 15 groups as terrorist, naming the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt19 14 February 2003 In force
Jordan Interior minister banned the group and seized its assets after 16 alleged plotters were arrested20 23 April 2025 In force
Austria Brotherhood symbols banned under the Symbols Act (the group itself is not outlawed)21 1 March 2019 In force
United States Egyptian and Jordanian chapters: Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Lebanese chapter: Foreign Terrorist Organization.323 13 January 2026 Whole movement not designated
United States (Sudan) Sudanese Brotherhood designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (9 March); it joined the State Department's Foreign Terrorist Organization list on 16 March2223 9 and 16 March 2026 In force
Texas and Florida Governors' orders naming the Brotherhood and CAIR as terrorist organisations2425 18 November and 8 December 2025 State orders only; CAIR rejects them
European Union Parliament asks the Council to consider listing Brotherhood-linked groups4 8 October 2026 Not binding; not on the EU list
France National Assembly resolution asking the EU to list the Brotherhood, 157 to 10126 22 January 2026 Non-binding; not banned

Austria's chancellor, Christian Stocker, called in August 2026 for a constitutional law against "political Islam"; by 1 September there was no draft text.30 I could not verify bans in Bahrain, Kazakhstan or Syria and have left them out.

What did the 2025 French report and the 2015 Jenkins review find? #

France's report, dated 2 May 2025, describes a strategy of "islamisation par le bas" (Islamisation from below) and a "double discours" (a moderate public message with a different private one). It counted a sworn inner circle of 400 to 1,000 people (observers' estimate), 139 affiliated places of worship plus 68 close to the federation (7% of France's 2,800), about 91,000 Friday worshippers and 21 of 74 Muslim schools, with 4,200 pupils.5

Britain's review, published on 17 December 2015, found three things that still frame the debate:

  • The Brotherhood preferred "non violent incremental change on the grounds of expediency" but was "prepared to countenance violence" where that failed.1
  • It had "deliberately, wittingly and openly incubated and sustained" Hamas.1
  • Its UK-linked groups had an influence "disproportionate to their size", and its English and Arabic messages differed significantly.1

The Prime Minister said that membership of, association with or influence by the Brotherhood "should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism".31 The Egyptian Brotherhood told the review it had "consistently adhered to peaceful means of opposition"; the authors found that claim impossible to reconcile with the record.1

What is Islamist entryism? #

Islamist entryism means gaining influence inside institutions such as schools, charities, councils and advocacy bodies while presenting a moderate public face. The French report uses the word and ties it to the Brotherhood's gradualist doctrine.5

The European Parliament's October 2026 text calls the Brotherhood "a political project based on the primacy of religious norms over common law".32 It names the youth forum FEMYSO, the anti-racism network ENAR and Islamic Relief Worldwide; FEMYSO and ENAR reject the allegation, and Islamic Relief disputes it.3342 The resolution's author, Céline Imart, stressed that "Islam as a faith and political Islam as an ideology must not be conflated."34 For the evidence, see the Europe page and the weekly briefing on the vote.

What is the Brotherhood's position in the UK and Australia? #

In the UK the Brotherhood is lawful. The Prime Minister said in December 2025 that a ban was "under very close review", and the Home Office list of proscribed groups, updated on 7 July 2026, does not include it.2827 The 2015 review found that Brotherhood associates for some years dominated the Muslim Association of Britain and played an important role in establishing the Muslim Council of Britain.1 More is in the UK guide.

In Australia the Brotherhood is not listed. The national list, last updated on 27 June 2025, names 31 terrorist organisations, among them Hamas (since 4 March 2022) and Hizballah (since 10 December 2021).29 See the guide to Islamism in Australia.

How do the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Qatar and Turkey connect? #

Hamas's 1988 Covenant states: "The Islamic Resistance Movement is one of the wings of Moslem Brotherhood in Palestine."35 Its 2017 policy document does not mention the Brotherhood.36 The UK review said the Brotherhood treats Hamas as its Palestinian branch.1 See the Hamas guide.

Turkey became a hub for exiled Brotherhood members after 2013, though it later restrained their media work and revoked about 50 citizenships, according to a Vienna research centre.37 Under Gulf pressure, Egyptian Brotherhood leaders agreed to leave Qatar.38 The October 2026 EU resolution asks for scrutiny of funding from Qatar and Turkey.39 Qatar denies funding Hamas.41

What cuts the other way? #

  • The branches differ. The Egyptian Brotherhood disowned violence in the 1970s. In 2015 the UK review noted that in Tunisia a party inspired by the Brotherhood "has played a positive role as part of an emerging democratic process".1
  • Jihadists are its enemies. Ayman al-Zawahiri attacked the Brotherhood in a 1991 book for taking part in elections.40 See the al-Qaeda guide.
  • Repression has been severe. Human Rights Watch counted at least 817 protesters killed at Rab'a alone in August 2013.8
  • Evidence in the West is about influence. The UK review said the Brotherhood "has not been linked to terrorist related activity in and against the UK".1 The French report says its sworn core numbers only a few hundred and that academics are sharply divided.5 Austria's Operation Luxor raids on alleged Brotherhood supporters later collapsed, and investigations into one foundation were dropped in 2022.43
  • Opponents see stigma. Socialist, Green and left MEPs argued the 2026 resolution risks stigmatising Muslims.33
  • Most Western Muslims have no link to it. The French report sets about 91,000 Friday worshippers at affiliated mosques against some 7.5 million Muslims in France.5

Questions people ask #

Which countries have banned the Muslim Brotherhood? #

As of October 2026, Egypt (2013), Saudi Arabia (2014), the United Arab Emirates (2014), Russia (2003) and Jordan (2025) ban or designate it as a whole. The United States has designated its Egyptian, Jordanian, Lebanese and Sudanese chapters, not the whole movement. Austria bans its symbols. The UK, the EU and Australia have not banned it.

Who is the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood? #

The formal General Guide is Mohamed Badie, who was arrested in Egypt in August 2013 and has received life sentences. Salah Abdel Haq has served as acting general guide since March 2023 and was still described that way in January 2026. A rival camp led by Mahmoud Hussein disputes the succession, so leadership claims are contested.

Is the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation? #

It depends on the country and the branch. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Russia designate it as terrorist. The United States designates only some chapters, citing support for Hamas. The UK's 2015 review found it preferred non-violent change but would countenance violence if that failed, and Britain has not proscribed it.

What is the Muslim Brotherhood's motto? #

The motto, attributed to founder Hassan al-Banna, is: "Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our Leader. The Qur'an is our Constitution. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope." Hamas adopted a nearly identical slogan in Article 8 of its 1988 Covenant.

Is the Muslim Brotherhood the same as al-Qaeda or Islamic State? #

No. They are rivals. The Brotherhood has mostly pursued gradual political and social change and has contested elections. Al-Qaeda and Islamic State reject elections and fight to overthrow states. Their thinkers overlap: Sayyid Qutb, a Brotherhood ideologue, influenced later jihadists. Zawahiri attacked the Brotherhood for joining politics.

  1. HM Government, "Muslim Brotherhood Review: Main Findings", HC 679, 17 December 2015, paras 8, 10, 14, 16, 17, 30, 33, 36 and 39. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a8076bfe5274a2e8ab504ab/53163_Muslim_Brotherhood_Review_-_PRINT.pdf ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  2. Hillel Fradkin and Lewis Libby, "The Brotherhood's Walking Korans", Hudson Institute, 18 April 2012. https://www.hudson.org/national-security-defense/the-brotherhood-s-walking-korans ↩↩

  3. US Department of the Treasury, "Treasury and State Departments Designate Muslim Brotherhood Branches as Terrorist Organizations", press release sb0357, 13 January 2026. https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0357 ↩↩

  4. The Jerusalem Post, "EU Parliament adopts resolution calling for Muslim Brotherhood to be added to terror list", 11 October 2026. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-911347 ; The National, "EU Parliament calls for Muslim Brotherhood terror listings", 8 October 2026. https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/08/eu-parliament-calls-for-muslim-brotherhood-terror-listings/ ↩↩

  5. French government, Frères musulmans et islamisme politique en France, report dated 2 May 2025 (introduction and section 1). https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sites/minint/files/medias/documents/2025-05/2025-05-02-rapport-freres-musulmans.pdf ↩↩↩↩↩

  6. Al Jazeera, "US labels Muslim Brotherhood orgs in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan as terrorist", 13 January 2026. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/13/us-labels-muslim-brotherhood-orgs-in-egypt-lebanon-jordan-as-terrorist ; Al Jazeera, "Egypt arrests Muslim Brotherhood's top leader", 20 August 2013. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2013/8/20/egypt-arrests-muslim-brotherhoods-top-leader ; Al Jazeera, 28 February 2015. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/2/28/egypt-sentences-four-brotherhood-members-to-death ↩

  7. Richard P. Mitchell, The Society of the Muslim Brothers, Oxford University Press, 1969, the standard scholarly history; chronology cross-checked in Britannica, "Hassan al-Banna". ↩↩↩

  8. Human Rights Watch, All According to Plan: The Rab'a Massacre and Mass Killings of Protesters in Egypt, 12 August 2014. https://www.hrw.org/reports/egypt0814web.pdf ↩↩

  9. Al Jazeera, "What is the Muslim Brotherhood?", 18 June 2017. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2017/6/18/what-is-the-muslim-brotherhood ↩↩

  10. The Algemeiner, "Exclusive: Muslim Brotherhood Preaching Israel Destruction After Election", 28 June 2012. https://www.algemeiner.com/2012/06/28/exclusive-muslim-brotherhood-preaching-israel-destruction-after-election/ ↩

  11. Religion Watch summary of MEMRI Special Dispatch, December 2002. https://www.rwarchives.com/2004/01/islams-rome-prophecy-gains-hearing ; Counter Extremism Project, "Yusuf al-Qaradawi". https://www.counterextremism.com/extremists/yusuf-al-qaradawi ↩

  12. Le Temps, on Sylvain Besson, La Conquête de l'Occident (2005). https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/lislamisme-conquete-monde ; Georgetown Bridge Initiative, "The Global Muslim Brotherhood Conspiracy Theory". https://bridge.georgetown.edu/research/the-global-muslim-brotherhood-conspiracy-theory/ ↩

  13. Al Jazeera, "Egypt sentences four Brotherhood members to death", 28 February 2015. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/2/28/egypt-sentences-four-brotherhood-members-to-death ; Wikipedia, "Mohamed Badie" (took office January 2010; arrested August 2013). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Badie ↩

  14. Middle East Monitor, "Top Brotherhood leader chosen unanimously, has backing of senior officials", 27 March 2023. https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230327-top-brotherhood-leader-chosen-unanimously-has-backing-of-senior-officials/ ↩

  15. Al Jazeera, 13 January 2026 (acting general guide Salah Abdel Haq). https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/13/us-labels-muslim-brotherhood-orgs-in-egypt-lebanon-jordan-as-terrorist ↩

  16. Al Jazeera, "Egypt declares Brotherhood 'terrorist group'", 25 December 2013. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/12/egypt-declares-brotherhood-terrorist-group-201312251544398545.html ↩↩

  17. Al Jazeera, "Saudi lists Brotherhood as terrorist group", 7 March 2014. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2014/3/7/saudi-lists-brotherhood-as-terrorist-group ↩

  18. Al Jazeera, "UAE lists scores of groups as 'terrorists'", 16 November 2014. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/11/uae-lists-scores-groups-as-terrorists-2014111517644316294.html ↩

  19. Dawn, "Russia bans 15 religious groups", 15 February 2003. https://www.dawn.com/news/82225 ↩

  20. Egyptian Streets, "Jordan outlaws Muslim Brotherhood, cites security threats", 23 April 2025. https://egyptianstreets.com/2025/04/23/jordan-outlaws-muslim-brotherhood-cites-security-threats/ ↩

  21. Austria-Forum, "Symbole-Gesetz" (Muslimbruderschaft listed since 2019). https://austria-forum.org/af/AustriaWiki/Symbole-Gesetz ; Georgetown Bridge Initiative (1 March 2019). https://bridge.georgetown.edu/?p=2603 ↩

  22. Reuters (via Internazionale), "US to designate Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organization, State Department says", 9 March 2026. https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/03/09/us-to-designate-sudanese-muslim-brotherhood-a-foreign-terrorist-organization-state-department-says ↩

  23. US Department of State, "Foreign Terrorist Organizations" (list of designated organisations with implementation dates; Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood 14 January 2026, Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood 16 March 2026), viewed 13 October 2026. https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations ↩↩

  24. Office of the Governor of Texas, "Governor Abbott Designates Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR As Foreign Terrorist Organizations", 18 November 2025. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-designates-muslim-brotherhood-cair-as-foreign-terrorist-organizations ↩

  25. JURIST, "Florida governor designates CAIR as foreign terrorist organization", 10 December 2025 (Executive Order 25-244). https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/12/florida-governor-designates-cair-as-foreign-terrorist-organization/ ↩

  26. Middle East Forum, "France's National Assembly votes to designate Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization", January 2026. https://www.meforum.org/fwi/fwi-news/frances-national-assembly-votes-to-designate-muslim-brotherhood-a-terrorist-organization ↩

  27. UK Home Office, "Proscribed terrorist groups or organisations", updated 7 July 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror-groups-or-organisations--2/proscribed-terrorist-groups-or-organisations-accessible-version ↩

  28. The National, "Muslim Brotherhood under 'close review' for UK ban", 5 December 2025. https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uk/2025/12/05/muslim-brotherhood-under-close-review-for-uk-ban/ ↩

  29. Australian Government, National Security, "Listed terrorist organisations" (31 organisations; Hamas 4 March 2022; Hizballah 10 December 2021; page last updated 27 June 2025), viewed 13 October 2026. https://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/what-australia-is-doing/terrorist-organisations/listed-terrorist-organisations ↩

  30. The Jerusalem Post, on Austria's plan for a law against "political Islam", 1 September 2026. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-907254 ↩

  31. Prime Minister's written statement, "Muslim Brotherhood review", 17 December 2015. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/muslim-brotherhood-review-statement-by-the-prime-minister ↩

  32. The National, "EU to increase monitoring of Muslim Brotherhood financial flows", 9 October 2026. https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/europe/2026/10/09/eu-to-increase-monitoring-of-muslim-brotherhood-financial-flows/ ↩

  33. Fighting Islamists weekly briefing, week 42, 12 October 2026 (FEMYSO, ENAR and opposition statements, with the sources listed there). https://fightingislamists.com/briefings/brief-2026-W42.html ↩↩

  34. The National, 8 October 2026 (Céline Imart quoted). https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/08/eu-parliament-calls-for-muslim-brotherhood-terror-listings/ ↩

  35. "The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)", 18 August 1988, Article Two, Avalon Project, Yale Law School. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.asp ↩

  36. "Hamas in 2017: The document in full", Middle East Eye, 2 May 2017. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/hamas-2017-document-full ↩

  37. Religion Watch (Baylor University), 16 July 2025, summarising a report by Jan-Markus Vömel for the Documentation Centre of Political Islam, Vienna. https://religionwatch.web.baylor.edu/news/story/2025/rise-and-fall-alliance-between-turkeys-akp-and-muslim-brotherhood ↩

  38. Gulf News, "Egypt's Brotherhood to quit Qatar haven". https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/qatar/egypts-brotherhood-to-quit-qatar-haven-1.1384565 ↩

  39. The Jerusalem Post, 11 October 2026. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-911347 ↩

  40. Gilles Kepel, Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam, I.B. Tauris, 2002, on Zawahiri's 1991 critique of the Brotherhood. ↩

  41. NBC News, "Gaza is plagued by poverty, but Hamas has no shortage of cash. Where does it come from?", 25 October 2023. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gaza-plagued-poverty-hamas-no-shortage-cash-come-rcna121099 ↩↩

  42. Charity Times, "Regulator clears charity following anti-Semitic social media scandal" (Charity Commission inquiry into Islamic Relief closed with regulatory advice). https://www.charitytimes.com/ct/Regulator-clears-charity-following-anti-Semitic-social-media-scandal.php ↩

  43. ORF.at, "Operation Luxor: Ermittlungen gegen Stiftung eingestellt", 1 August 2022. https://orf.at/stories/3279088/ ↩

Cite as: The Analyst, "Muslim Brotherhood: goals, bans, leader and history", Fighting Islamists, updated 13 October 2026. https://fightingislamists.com/muslim-brotherhood.html

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