March 7, 2014 | Policy Brief

Saudi Arabia Moves Against the Muslim Brotherhood

March 7, 2014 | Policy Brief

Saudi Arabia Moves Against the Muslim Brotherhood

Saudi Arabia escalated its campaign against the Muslim Brotherhood today by including the organization on a controversial new list of terrorist movements. This new step comes in the wake of a similar decision by Egypt to designate the Brotherhood as a terrorist group in December, as well as a diplomatic incident this week in which Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt withdrew their ambassadors to punish Qatar for its sponsorship of the Brotherhood.

Eight other organizations were also listed by name in today’s announcement. “The Organization Al Qaeda” was listed, as well as several of its current or former affiliates: Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Al Qaeda in Yemen, Al Qaeda in Iraq, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and Syria’s Nusra Front.  Two Iranian clients were named: the Shi’ite Houthi rebels in northern Yemen and Hezbollah in the Hejaz, which is a Saudi branch of the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah listed in a 2001 U.S. indictment as the main perpetrator of a 1996 terrorist attack against U.S. service members that killed nineteen and injured nearly 500. 

Interestingly, the Saudi designation of Hezbollah only applies “in the Kingdom,” meaning that the Lebanese group is not in the crosshairs. Similarly, Saudi Arabia’s list did not include the Palestinian group Hamas, which is an avowed arm of the Muslim Brotherhood.

In early February, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah issued a royal decree mandating prison sentences for fighting on behalf of terrorist groups. Today’s list makes it clear who could now be jailed.  

This, of course, raises human rights concerns. How Saudi Arabia determines membership in these organizations is not entirely clear. The Saudi judicial system lacks rigor, to put it mildly.   

Moreover, today’s announcement states that the rubric of terrorism also applies to any resident or citizen who engages in “the promotion of atheistic thinking in any form or casting doubt on the fundamentals of Islam.”  Other actions that qualify apparently include undermining national unity through “demonstrations,” “collective statements,” “gatherings inside or outside the Kingdom,” or “communicating with another country.”  Such draconian measures could encourage extremism, while eroding accountability and reform.

David Andrew Weinberg is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Issues:

Al Qaeda Egypt Hezbollah Syria