72 years since the dissolution of the Muslim Brotherhood: the story behind Egypt’s Revolutionary Command Council decision

The Muslim Brotherhood has a long history marked by dissolution, bans, and acts of terrorism, closely linked to conspiracies and assassination attempts during various periods of Egypt’s modern history.

However, the decision to dissolve the Brotherhood in 1954 remains one of the most significant blows the group has faced. It marked a shift from operating within a free and legal framework to a state of dissolution and repression.

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On January 14, 1954, Egypt’s Revolutionary Command Council decided to dissolve the Muslim Brotherhood, classifying it as a political party subject to a previous decision by the Council to dissolve all political parties.

This decision came three months after the Al-Manshiya incident in Alexandria, when the Muslim Brotherhood attempted to assassinate the head of the Revolutionary Command Council, Gamal Abdel Nasser.

The decision issued by the Egyptian Revolutionary Command Council on January 14, 1954, followed a period in which the Brotherhood had initially been the only group spared from the dissolution of all political parties, as it was first regarded by the Council as a “religious and preaching organization.”

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The story traces back to the Al-Manshiya incident, when Gamal Abdel Nasser was delivering a speech before a massive crowd in Al-Manshiya Square in Alexandria.

Eight bullets were fired toward the platform where he was standing, in a failed attempt to assassinate him.

At the time, the government accused the Brotherhood’s secret apparatus of seeking to overthrow the state, spread chaos and violence, and assassinate members of the Revolutionary Command Council.

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Investigations later confirmed that the assassination attempt was part of a broader conspiracy aimed at killing members of the Revolutionary Command Council and 160 army officers in order to seize power, according to local reports.

Following the June 30, 2013 revolution, Egyptian authorities designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.

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