The United States is advancing a new strategy to officially designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, signaling a significant policy shift aimed at curbing the group’s influence. The initiative is being spearheaded by Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who has long championed efforts to sanction the global Islamist network known for spawning militant groups such as Hamas.

This latest approach, described as “bottom up,” focuses on first identifying and designating specific Muslim Brotherhood branches that are directly involved in terrorist activities before considering the entire organization for blacklisting. Advocates say the move is designed to overcome political resistance and mitigate criticism over targeting Brotherhood affiliated entities that may not have engaged in violence.

Senator Cruz is co sponsoring the Senate bill alongside fellow Republican senators Tom Cotton, John Boozman, Rick Scott, Ashley Moody and Dave McCormick. A companion bill has also been introduced in the House of Representatives by Mario Diaz Balart and Jared Moskowitz, giving the campaign bipartisan traction.

According to the proposed legislation, Hamas is explicitly recognized as a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. The bill cites Hamas’s October 7 2023 attack which resulted in the worst single day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, including the killing, kidnapping and disappearance of at least 53 American citizens, as further justification for the designation.

The bill also highlights the Brotherhood’s global footprint, accusing it of providing political support, financial resources, training and communications assistance to affiliate networks across different regions. These activities, it argues, have destabilized US allies and partners in the Middle East.

Senator Cruz underscored the urgency of the move, warning that the Muslim Brotherhood remains committed to undermining the US and allied governments. “Blacklisting the Muslim Brotherhood is critical to stopping its support for terrorist organizations,” Cruz stated.

The push in Washington comes amid growing international pressure on the group. France recently escalated its measures, with President Emmanuel Macron directing his government to clamp down on the Brotherhood’s funding sources and expand sanctions following an urgent National Security Council meeting on July 7.

Observers note that momentum is building in Europe as well, with the Brotherhood issue expected to be tabled before the European Parliament in response to France’s recent action. Analysts believe this coordinated US European Arab approach represents the most serious attempt yet to dismantle the Brotherhood’s global operations.

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