The Muslim Brotherhood as a Global Terrorist Organization: US House Committee Approves Bill
On Wednesday, Washington marked a historic shift by having the House Foreign Affairs Committee approve a bill requiring President Donald Trump to designate the Muslim Brotherhood — in all its branches — as a “global terrorist organization.”
The decision taken represents the strongest legislative move in at least a decade against the organization. It brings the United States back in line with the positions of the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, all of which had already banned and designated the group as a terrorist organization.
This shift—gaining steady momentum within Congress—goes beyond domestic partisan debate. It comes at a politically sensitive moment in which the organization’s role in the Middle East is being reassessed, amid a regional environment where the Brotherhood’s influence is declining at an unprecedented rate.
An unprecedented legislative step
The bill introduced by Republican Representative Mario Diaz-Balart secured clear support from all Republicans and nearly half of the Democrats on the committee. The backing of prominent Democrats such as Brad Sherman, Brad Schneider, Jared Moskowitz, and George Latimer signals an evolving political climate within the legislative institution.
Under the bill, the law requires President Trump to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization. This would prohibit its activities in the United States, increase oversight over its funding, and bar the issuance of visas to anyone linked to the group directly or indirectly.
The bill only days after the Trump administration announced steps to designate certain Brotherhood branches as “terrorist.”
A strong defense of the decision
Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz, one of the bill’s co-sponsors, stressed that the decision is not related to Muslims, saying: “This is not a war on Muslims. The countries that know the Brotherhood well — such as the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia — designated them as a terrorist organization years ago.”
He added that Washington has long lagged behind its allies in taking a similar step: “We have been trying to pass this for nearly a decade.” He also noted that ambassadors from Arab countries have expressed surprise that the measure has not yet been completed.
What comes next?
Approval of the bill by the Foreign Affairs Committee marks a crucial stage. It will now move to the House floor for a full vote, then to the Senate, before reaching the president’s desk.
Although Trump issued an executive order last November calling for a comprehensive review ahead of a potential designation, legislative backing from Congress strengthens the decision, making it more enduring and placing the organization under direct legal confrontation in the United States for the first time.
As the bill advances at an unusually rapid pace, 2025 appears poised to become a turning point in Washington’s relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood — potentially initiating a phase that reshapes the group’s influence across the region and the world, aligning with a broader Arab trend to ban and counter the organization.
The Muslim Brotherhood as a source of radicalism
Founded in 1928 in Egypt as a cross-border religious movement, the Brotherhood evolved into a sprawling network of political, military, and ideological groups.
Across the Arab world, several terrorist organizations have emerged from its ranks, including Hamas, regarded as the group’s direct Palestinian branch.
These digital materials, cited as evidence by US institutions, have helped fuel the momentum behind this significant legislative step.
Even intelligence agencies have repeatedly warned that the designation could fuel radicalism and trigger diplomatic crises with countries hosting political parties rooted in or linked to the Brotherhood.
Implications of the bill
The bill imposes strict measures on the organization and its branches, including:
- a ban on entry, residence, or parole in the United States for any recognized member
• immediate cancellation of existing visas for all members
• restrictions on assets, properties, and financial activities associated with the group
The law also provides precise definitions:
• foreign person: any individual or entity that is not American
• branch of the organization: any entity affiliated with or linked to the Brotherhood,
including in the countries listed above
• member of the organization: any person who is a member, under the group’s control, or acting as its representative or that of one of its branches
• US person: includes citizens, permanent residents, foreign residents, and any American entity or its foreign subsidiary
The bill requires the president to implement sanctions within 90 days of its enactment and prevents their lifting for at least four years, ensuring continued pressure on the organization and its branches until they demonstrate cessation of terrorist-related activities.
Annual report to Congress
The legislation obliges the State Department to submit an annual report to Congress that includes:
- identification of all branches of the group worldwide
• assessment of whether each branch meets the criteria for designation as a terrorist organization
• a classified annex when necessary to clarify sensitive national security information
This report serves as an essential oversight mechanism, enabling Congress to monitor the group’s activities and its branches, and highlighting its transnational networks used to spread extremism and terrorism.
Accompanying decisions: sanctions on the Houthis and Iran
Alongside the bill targeting the Muslim Brotherhood, the committee unanimously passed a bill requiring the State Department to provide periodic reports on antisemitism in Europe, amid US concerns about rising attacks against Jews.
The committee also passed a bill imposing additional sanctions on the Houthis in Yemen. Representative Darrell Issa denounced the “complete destruction of religious diversity” that existed before their rise to power, citing their imposition of a rigid interpretation of Sharia and the elimination of previous forms of pluralism.
In a third step, the committee approved sanctions against Iranian clerics who issued fatwas calling for the killing of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
