By Tajha Chappellet-Lanier
UCR Class of 2014
On August 17, 2013, interim Prime Minister of Egypt, Hazem el-Beblawi, proposed the dissolution of the Muslim Brotherhood. Just days later, he backed down from the idea, saying instead that his government would continue to closely monitor the group. And this is just the most recent difficulty faced by an organization with a long history of institutional disapproval. A quick scan through any current news on Egypt will inform us that the Brotherhood is an important player, but a true appreciation for the role played by this organization rests on an understanding of its tumultuous 85-year history.
The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna. His goal was to establish a political system based on the rule of Sharia law, but the Brotherhood would have important social functions as well. In its early years of operation the Brotherhood focused on charity work, primarily providing education for the disenfranchised communities in Egypt. Slowly the organization grew more and more political, drawing for its support on those very people it had provided educational opportunities and financial assistance to. Needless to say, this was a strong and loyal base.
In 1948, following accusations of bombings and attempted assassinations, the Brotherhood was officially ‘dissolved’ by then Prime Minister, Mahmud Fahmi Nokrashi. However, the violence continued with the assassination of Nokrashi himself.
Still very much at the center of politics, the Brotherhood is believed to have supported Nasser in his overthrow of the monarchy in 1952. By 1954, though, this relationship had soured, and while key Brotherhood members spent most of Nasser’s rule in prison, the organization as a whole went underground. The story holds that during this time, as in its early days, the Brotherhood focused on charity work and support for those marginalized by society, once again building a loyal following for its eventual return to political power.
Under president Sadat in the 1970s and Mubarak in the 1980s the group began to re-emerge, calling for a transition to democracy in Egypt. They participated in parliamentary elections, making a significant win in 2005 when about 20% of the seats went to Brotherhood members. They continued to call for further democracy.
And so, when Egypt’s Arab Spring broke out in 2011 and president Mubarak was ousted, the Brotherhood seized the opportunity for a rise to prominence. It formed an expressly political party, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), and put member Mohamed Morsi up for office in the first presidential elections in 2012. The rest is history—Morsi won his election with just over fifty percent of the vote, and the FJP became the party with the largest number of seats both in the Peoples Assembly and the Shura Council, and perhaps this should not have been surprising given that the Brotherhood is Egypt’s longest standing and best organized political group. However, criticism quickly emerged citing a lack of legitimacy based on the very low voter turnout at each of these elections.
Today, following the July 2013 unseating of Morsi, the Brotherhood once again finds itself fighting for survival. Clashes between Brotherhood supporters and those who oppose its operation continue to plague Egypt. One thing seems certain though, using history as a guide, the Muslim Brotherhood will continue to be an important player in Egypt’s political system and should be treated as such. The organization is unlikely to simply disappear at an executive decree of dissolution. Perhaps this is what Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi realized in rescinding his suggestion. And if dealing with an opposition through democratic means seems more difficult—welcome to the game, Egypt.
Tajha Chappellet-Lanier, class of 2014, is a Politics and Law major from Big Sur, California, United States.
