Blow to Hamas: Muslim Brotherhood Branded a ‘Terrorist Group’ by Saudis

Saudi clerics declared in a proclamation that the Muslim Brotherhood provokes controversy in the Arab world and uses methods of violence and terrorism.

By Baruch Yedid, TPS

Saudi Arabia’s Council of Senior Scholars last week delivered a significant blow to Hamas when it declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group “that does not represent the conception of Islam.”

Hamas in the Gaza Strip is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Saudi clerics stated in a proclamation that “the Muslim Brotherhood is a group that has deviated from the path of Islam” and that provokes controversy in the Arab and Muslim world and uses methods of violence and terrorism.

“The Muslim Brotherhood does not operate for the religion and the Sunnah but for the government, and out of its womb came terrorists,” the statement said, warning of any contact with members of the extremist movement.

In response, the Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement rejecting the Saudi proclamation.

It should be noted that in recent years, Saudi Arabia’s attitude toward the Muslim Brotherhood has become increasingly negative, focusing its ire on Hamas. It arrested dozens of Hamas members in the kingdom last year, including Hamas’ most senior representative, on charges of financing terrorism.

Fourteen of them will be tried in Saudi Arabia in the near future.

Austria Confiscates Millions of Dollars

Meanwhile, in another move that harms the Muslim Brotherhood, the Austrian government has decided to confiscate 20 million euros in assets and cash from organizations affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

This move by the Austrians comes after a lengthy investigation, which proved a connection between the Muslim Brotherhood and terrorism. The investigation lasted more than a year and included tracking and documentation of meetings among the Muslim Brotherhood groups.

Austria recently raided 60 businesses and arrested 30 Brotherhood activists on terrorist charges.

A few months ago, Sudan’s security forces arrested a senior Hamas official and a member of the Intelligence Department in the “Construction Administration,” Ahab Muhammad Ramadan Abd al-Rafor. It became apparent that Hamas has been working for the past two years to establish terrorist networks in Africa, and its activities were exposed after al-Rafor’s arrest.

He was overseen by senior members of the organization from Turkey and Beirut under the guise of “activities for students,” which he sent to locate Israeli targets in Africa. He has previously worked for Al-Qaeda.

Sudan also recently arrested a cleric, a Gazan preacher who has lived there for about two years, for expressing support for the return of the Muslim Brotherhood under the leadership of General Omar Bashir.

It was recently reported that the Sudanese transitional government is considering closing down Hamas and Hezbollah offices in its territory, in order to leave the list US’ list of terror-supporting countries. Hamas and Hezbollah have a number of “political” offices in Sudan.

In 1982, Syria became the first country to declare the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.

In the summer of 2013, following the coup in Egypt, Muhammad Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, came to power. Then-Egyptian Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ousted the Brotherhood government, imprisoned their senior officials and executed others.

Egypt subsequently declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization, followed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.

On the other hand, Brotherhood organizations, including Hamas, have enjoyed in recent years political and economic support from Turkey and Qatar.

Qatar has been home to senior members of the movement for several decades, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qardawi, now considered the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Emails from former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently revealed in the U.S. showed warming ties between the U.S. and the Brotherhood under the Obama administration, even at the expense of moderate states.