EGYPT - Historical Background.

Jam'eeyat Al-Ikhwan Al-Muslimin (Association of Muslim Brothers - MB) was founded in 1928 at Isma'ilia, Egypt, by Hassan Al-Banna. Some facets of its history are still unknown since the MB engaged in secret activities and the movement spread to several countries, on several occasions threatening established regimes and/or being persecuted by them - notorious MB militants being either in exile or living under police supervision in their own countries.

MB's formative period in 1928-36 was dominated by religious and social activities. Sections were formed in the various localities of the Suez Canal zone, and then gradually throughout Egypt, particularly after 1933, the year when Banna, who had remained a teacher, was moved to Cairo where he transferred MB's headquarters. Missionaries specially commissioned by the founder, called Supreme Guide, preached in the mosques and other public places. The MB founded schools of various grades, organised courses of religious instruction, taught the illiterate, set up hospitals and dispensaries, undertook various enterprises to raise the standard of living in the villages, built mosques and even launched industrial and commercial enterprises.

The period of political activity and expansion, in 1936-52, began after the signing of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936, against which the MB campaigned. Among other things, the MB supported the cause of Palestine Arabs, which enabled Banna to spread his movement throughout the Middle East, especially in Syria, and gained him in Egypt an ever-increasing prestige. During World War II, in 1941, Banna was imprisoned for a time because of his violent anti-British militancy.

At that period the "free officers", who were to seize power on July 23, 1952, had a friendly relationship with the MB as the latter's well ramified networks were useful to the former. But the two movements always remained independent of each other. Banna had already organised a secret army and paramilitary groups, including men who later undertook suicide missions. Banna's plan was to seize power by force. While awaiting a suitable opportunity, the MB continued their educational and social activities and became an increasing influence in Egyptian politics, but in the country itself and not in the parliament. After 1943, they had to reckon with competition from the Communists allied to the left-wing of the Wafd Party - the latter was the biggest and best organised among parties approved by the government at the time, whereas the MB was still projecting itself more as a socio-religious movement than a political organisation - who like them were attempting to arouse the political awareness of the students and the populace. The left accused the MB of devoting more energy to opposing it than to opposing the British and of resorting to violent methods and even actual terrorism to do so.

The MB provided volunteers who fought with the Arab armies in the 1948 Palestine war. After the Arab defeat, the MB became an organised armed force capable of challenging the government. The government of Al-Nuqrashi Pasha ordered the dissolution of the MB, confiscation of all its possessions and arrest of a large number of its leaders. Al-Nuqrashi was assassinated on Dec. 28, 1948, by a Muslim Brother. On Feb. 12, 1949, Banna was himself assassinated; no investigation was ever completed.

The MB continued to function in secret under a new Supreme Guide: Hassan Ismail Al-Hudaybi, a magistrate elected to this post. But his authority was often challenged. In 1951, as a result of an April 23 law concerning organisations, the MB was able to resume its activities openly. In theory it was forbidden to do anything in secret or to make any military preparations. But very soon it managed to evade that prohibition. It took part in harrying actions against British bases in the Suez Canal zone. The role the MB played in the burning of Cairo on Jan. 26, 1952, remains a mystery.

The secret movement of the "free officers", which took power on July 23, 1952, had a programme which in many respects resembled that of the MB, particularly on social matters. Also many officers who took part in the movement were in fact members of, or sympathisers with, the MB - including Anwar Al-Sadat, who in 1970 became president of Egypt after the death of Gamal Abdel Nasser.

This may explain why the new regime at first sought the collaboration of the MB. When on Jan. 16, 1953, all the political parties were dissolved, the regime considered the MB a non-political association. But Hudaybi demanded the right of control and veto over all government decisions - wishing to set himself up as the "moral tutor" of the revolution - a position refused. Soon the MB attacked the regime, considering that its programme and first achievements did not sufficiently conform to MB's Islamic ideal.

In 1953, there began a muted but bitter struggle. The MB intensified its propaganda among the students and the trade unions, and some MB units plotted within the army and even among the police. On Jan. 13, 1954, the MB was once again dissolved and several hundred of its members, including nearly all the leaders, were arrested. But because of rivalry between Gen. Mohamed Naguib, who led the overthrow of the monarchy, and Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser, the MBs were later released and granted again the right to exist as a non-political organisation.

The Anglo-Egyptian Treaty signed on Oct. 19, 1954, was the cause of fresh conflict between the MB and the regime. The MB regarded the treaty as being too favourable to the British and rejected even the principle of negotiating with them, maintaining that an armed struggle was the only possible method of dealing with the European empire. On Oct. 26, 1954, Nasser narrowly escaped an attempt on his life by a Muslim Brother. The government arrested and tried over 1,000 MBs who received severe penalties. Six leading MB militants were executed. Hudaybi was condemned to death, but the sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment.

By then Nasser had taken over power and his regime had begun to be repressive, mainly towards the MB. The MB managed to exist clandestinely and to expand with a secret army and suicide squads. In the summer of 1965, the MB staged a coup attempt. But this was foiled by Nasser's secret service; several hundred MBs were arrested and tried for more than a year. In August 1966, the regime executed three leading MBs, including Sayyid Qutub, the well-known Salafi ideologue and writer who had developed a jihadist movement within the MB and was one of the main links between the MB and Hizb ut-Tahrir which was to become the umbrella organisation for many Salafi groups in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, South-East Asia, the American continent, etc.