The Muslim Brotherhood crisis

The government’s closing down the offices of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) movement was not unexpected. It was a legal procedure, considering that the group is unlicensed, which means that all its activities are illegitimate.

The aftershocks of the fall of the MB in Egypt reached the Jordanian branch. The failure to cope with the political changes has created a crisis within the Jordanian branch of the movement.

When the Brotherhood reached a position of authority in Egypt, the Jordanian branch expected the same in Jordan. 

The movement’s efforts, as a result, were concentrated primarily on reaching that goal, even attempting to make use of the predicted fall of Bashar Assad in Syria, apparent in the tactics used by the MB, which left the Jordanian scene and focused completely on Syria.

The fall of Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi in Egypt came as a surprise and caused a problem within the group.

Many young MB members felt that the reason for his fall was the rigid mentality of the MB leadership.

The Jordanian branch had similar problems; the same persons, language and mentality continued to run the scene. This domination caused various fragmentations within the group; a major outcome was the so-called Zamzam group.

A fight for legitimacy ensued within the MB. 

The government took the step of closing down the movement’s offices amid this state of chaos within the MB, but some expressed concern that the step may lead the group to resort to violence.

But if a political group is willing to use violence, then the problem is in the doctrine such group advocates. 

At the same time, if the group will really consider violence as an option, it should simply become a target of the core strategy of combating terrorism. 

It would also confirm the narrative of many that MB is in effect a terrorist group.

The problem lies in the structure of the Muslim Brotherhood. Unless it effects serious changes within, in terms of persons, language and way of thinking, its current crisis will have no solution.

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