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Steven Emerson,
Executive Director
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February 24, 2016
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House
Committee Approves Bill Demanding MB Terror Designation
by John Rossomando • Feb 24, 2016
at 5:57 pm
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The House Judiciary Committee passed a bill Wednesday calling on the
State Department to classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group by
a 17-10 party-line vote.
The GOP leadership under Speaker Paul Ryan supports the legislation, a
high-ranking Republican source told the Investigative Project on Terrorism
(IPT) on background. This makes floor passage more likely.
The bill states that it is the "sense of Congress that the Muslim
Brotherhood meets the criteria for classification as a foreign terrorist
organization."
Under the bill as amended by committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va.,
Secretary of State John Kerry would have 60 days to issue a detailed report
to Congress indicating whether the Brotherhood meets the criteria qualifying
it as a terrorist group.
"The Brotherhood's strategic goal 'in America is a kind of grand
Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within
and 'sabotaging' its miserable house from within so that it is eliminated
and God's religion is made victorious over all other religions,"
Goodlatte said, quoting the Brotherhood's 1991 Explanatory Memorandum, in a statement given
before the vote. "The Brotherhood and its leaders and affiliates, such
as Hamas, have supported Islamist terrorism – directly, through
fundraising, and through exhortation.
"Each of these activities constitutes an act of terrorism under the
Immigration and Nationality Act."
Under the bill, the administration would be forced to deny admittance to
any foreign national tied to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Since Obama became president, people connected to the Muslim Brotherhood
have received entry visas despite their open support for terrorist groups
such as Hamas and Hizballah.
Previously banned individuals such as Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi, head of Tunisia's branch of
the Brotherhood, and Tariq Ramadan, grandson of Brotherhood founder Hasan
al-Banna, have been welcomed to the U.S. by the Obama administration
despite their vocal support for Hamas. Ramadan fought his ban in court and won an appeal.
Other foreign Brotherhood speakers such as Ragheb Elsergany exploit the platform given to them by
the Obama administration to advocate for Muslims to support Palestinian
"mujahideen" fighting against Israel.
If the Brotherhood were designated, it would be a crime for people in
the United Sates to provide material support to it, and the Treasury
Department could force banks to block financial transactions related to the
Brotherhood. The bill lists U.S. groups that include the Council on
American Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Islamic Society of North America
(ISNA) and the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) as groups under the
control of the international Muslim Brotherhood.
"The Muslim Brotherhood continues to pose a global threat. The
jihadist movement actively supports and finances terrorist networks around
the world, including al-Qaida and Hamas. The United States must recognize
and sanction the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization as part of
our national security strategy," co-sponsor Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart,
R-Fla., said in a statement.
The White House declined to comment on the committee vote.
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Terrorism is critical in winning a battle we cannot afford to lose. All
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Investigative Project on Terrorism Foundation is a recognized 501(c)3
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