The Muslim Brotherhood Threatens U.S. Security… a Shocking Article in Newsweek
Josh Hammer, editor-in-chief of the American magazine Newsweek, asserted that the United States has dealt with the Muslim Brotherhood with both naivety and deliberate neglect, which has resulted in serious consequences for domestic and foreign security. He called for officially designating the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
In his article titled “It Is Time to Designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a Terrorist Organization”, Hammer emphasized that the Brotherhood is not an innocent religious-political movement but, since its founding nearly a century ago, the ideological source of Islamist extremism. Its influence has left deep marks on major terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda and Hamas. Nevertheless, he argued, successive U.S. administrations—both Republican and Democratic—have consistently failed to recognize the Brotherhood for what it truly is.
Hammer pointed out that Washington’s persistent refusal to label the group as a terrorist organization has allowed the Brotherhood to exploit the political system, funding extremism under the cover of cultural and charitable activities. He noted that the group has always tried to present itself as a political actor, but in reality, its method resembles Leninist tactics: subversion through infiltration, and revolution through concealment.
As an illustration, Hammer highlighted Hamas, describing it as the Palestinian branch of the Brotherhood. He recalled that the organization’s founding charter explicitly states in Article 2 that Hamas is “one of the wings of the Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine.”
Hammer stressed that there is no reason for the United States to adopt a conciliatory stance toward the Brotherhood and its affiliates. He underscored that several countries—including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Russia, and Jordan—have already designated the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. He urged Washington to follow suit in order to safeguard both its national security and its global stability.
Finally, it is worth noting that several Republican lawmakers in the U.S. Congress, with potential backing from President Donald Trump, have recently introduced bills seeking to classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
