The Muslim Brotherhood and the specter of designation: a senior U.S. official calls for a decisive step

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Calls are growing within the United States to officially designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, amid intensifying political and legal initiatives.

The latest such call came from Sebastian Gorka, former Deputy Assistant to U.S. President Donald Trump and Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council.

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Speaking at an event hosted by the Hudson Institute, Gorka stated that “the time may be very ripe” to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, according to reports published by Jewish Insider, an English-language American-Israeli newspaper.

He added that he shared the views expressed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the National Security Advisor, who described the Brotherhood as “the godfather of all modern jihadist movements worldwide.”

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The U.S. official also pointed to ongoing efforts in Congress to adopt such a designation, noting that many Arab countries have already outlawed the group.

“We must acknowledge that if Arab states have classified the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, then it is time for us to do the same,” he said.

Moves toward designation
Earlier this month, the U.S. Secretary of State revealed that Washington is actively studying the possibility of designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.

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In an interview on Sid and Friends in the Morning, Rubio confirmed that this step is part of a broader review covering several entities accused of supporting or engaging in terrorism.

When asked whether the administration intends to classify the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as “terrorist organizations,” Rubio replied: “Yes, all of this is underway.”

However, he emphasized that the Brotherhood operates through various branches, which may require separate classifications.

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The Secretary of State underlined that the process follows strict legal procedures, as targeted organizations can challenge the designation in court. “Even if we know a group is terrorist, we need to gather evidence and prepare files that will stand up in court,” he explained.

He added that some branches of the Muslim Brotherhood might need separate designations, stressing that the group remains one of the administration’s “most troubling files.”

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Congressional initiatives
Last month, Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas unveiled details of a new bill designed to classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.

According to a copy of the draft obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, the proposed legislation, entitled the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025, is based on an “updated strategy” aimed at assessing the Brotherhood’s activities and the operations of its affiliates.

The bill includes wide-ranging legal measures to penalize the organization and its networks.

It requires the U.S. Secretary of State to identify the branches that meet the criteria for designation and to document the support provided by the parent organization, thereby justifying a comprehensive classification of the Muslim Brotherhood.

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