The Muslim Brotherhood is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt nearly a century ago. While it operates social services such as hospitals, pharmacies, and schools, multiple governments around the world link parts of the movement to violent activities. A new 200-page report from the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy argues that the Brotherhood’s long-term goal is to transform Western society from within. The report draws from internal Brotherhood documents, including the 1982 Project and the 1991 Explanatory Memorandum. Researchers say these documents show a five-decade effort to use Western freedoms as tools to advance Islamist ideological goals.
The report does not offer a precise number of Muslim Brotherhood members inside the United States, but it asserts that the organization has embedded itself through career appointments, advisory roles, social-media networks, and influence campaigns inside major institutions. According to the researchers, the Brotherhood targeted federal agencies such as the State Department, Homeland Security, and the Department of Justice. They also claim the group has a presence in civil-rights advocacy, education, and political organizing.
Some examples of the foolish Biden Administration actions in this regard can be found here: Enemies Within: Biden Puts Muslim Brotherhood in Key Diplomatic and Intelligence Roles – Naked Politics
According to the report’s authors, the Brotherhood seeks to establish an Islamic state governed by sharia. They argue that both al-Qaeda and the Brotherhood share the same strategic aim, differing only in method. While al-Qaeda uses direct violence, the Brotherhood allegedly uses a slower approach that maintains ideological continuity with militant jihad while avoiding overt confrontation. Dr. Charles Asher Small, a co-author of the report, says the organization has used the openness of liberal democracies as a vulnerability, adapting itself to Western systems while working to undermine them.
The Case for Designating the Brotherhood a Terrorist Group
The report calls on the United States to officially designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. The claims include alleged infiltration of government agencies, connections to extremist funding from Qatar, ideological ties shared with violent jihadist movements, and a long-term plan to erode American democracy from within. ISGAP argues that the United States is fifty years into the Brotherhood’s 100-year plan and that failure to formally designate the group would leave the country exposed to further ideological manipulation.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is a Muslim civil-rights and advocacy organization that often engages in public policy debates. The new report mentions CAIR multiple times and connects it to broader Brotherhood-aligned networks. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood to be foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations inside Texas. CAIR strongly denies these claims and says it condemns all forms of unjust violence. The group responded by saying Abbott’s move was a defamation of a prominent American Muslim institution based on conspiracy theories.
What Infiltration Means According to the Report
The authors claim the Brotherhood has gained access to government agencies, influenced civil-rights policy, embedded itself in educational institutions, and built a large social-media presence. The report also names elected officials as advancing positions aligned with Brotherhood perspectives. It specifically mentions Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. Although it states that neither has any confirmed formal connection to the Brotherhood, it argues that both have attended events organized by Brotherhood-aligned groups, received support from aligned donors, and taken public positions that fit within the Brotherhood’s ideological framework.
The report is described as scathing because it accuses the Brotherhood of a multi-generational strategy to manipulate American institutions. It argues that the group has used civil-rights language, political identity movements, and legal systems to shield its ideological operations. It also asserts that the Brotherhood’s networks are supported and nourished by foreign states and that Congress must act to protect both American values and Muslim citizens from ideological hijacking.
Gov. Greg Abbott has taken the strongest action of any state leader so far. He officially designated the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations in Texas. This designation prevents both groups and any individuals or companies tied to their entities from acquiring land inside the state. Abbott said the groups seek to impose sharia law and establish Islam’s mastership of the world. He also stated that their actions support terrorism across the globe and subvert American laws through violence, intimidation, and harassment.
President Donald Trump has announced that he will designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization at the federal level. He stated that final documents are being prepared and that the designation will be done in the strongest terms. Trump has considered this step since his first term but is now pushing it forward after new investigations into the Brotherhood’s influence. His administration views the group as a long-term threat to national security. He emphasized that the official designation is coming soon.
Supporters of the designation say it is long overdue and necessary to protect American democracy. They argue that multiple Middle Eastern countries have already taken action against the Brotherhood. Critics, including CAIR, say the accusations are based on false claims and political motives. CAIR argues that no civil-rights organization is safe if a governor can declare it a terrorist group without clear evidence. Some lawmakers, such as Sen. Ted Cruz, have reintroduced legislation urging the federal government to act following violent attacks linked to individuals who publicly supported the Brotherhood.
ISGAP says a federal terror designation would be a major step but that more action will be needed. The organization is preparing a joint declaration from scholars and policymakers urging Congress to act. They argue that the threat is not theoretical and that the United States must respond with clarity and courage. Whether Congress and federal agencies will move quickly remains unclear, but the debate over the Brotherhood’s reach inside the United States is now larger than ever.
