Egypt Court Bans All Muslim Brotherhood Activities, Islamist Leaders Say Decision 'Politically Motivated'
An Egyptian court on Monday banned the Muslim Brotherhood from operating and ordered its assets seized, in the latest blow to the Islamist movement of deposed president Mohammed Morsi.
The court also banned "any institution branching out from or belonging to the Brotherhood," the official MENA news agency reported, possibly restricting the movement's political arm the Freedom and Justice Party.
But the Muslim Brotherhood slammed as "corrupt and politically motivated" the court's decision.
Morsi's Islamist group said on its official Twitter account that it was an organisation that "will always be present on the ground even after it is dissolved".
"The Muslim Brotherhood is part and parcel of Egyptian society. Corrupt and politically motivated judicial decisions cannot change that," it said.
The court's ruling ratchets up an intensifying crackdown on the Brotherhood since the army's July 3 overthrow of Morsi.
Last month, security forces stormed two Cairo protest camps, sparking clashes in which hundreds of Islamist demonstrators were killed.
The operation drew criticism of the military-installed interim authorities from foreign governments and human rights groups.
A judicial source told Agence France Presse the court ruled that a government committee should be created to manage the Brotherhood's seized assets.
The Cairo court "ruled to ban all activities by the Muslim Brotherhood organisation, the group emanating from it and its non-governmental organisation," MENA reported.
The ruling may be appealed and overturned by a higher court.
Formed in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood was banned for decades before a popular uprising overthrew its arch foe president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
It swept subsequent parliamentary elections and successfully fielded Morsi in last year's presidential election.
The new military-installed government now accuses the Brotherhood of "terrorism", and police have arrested at least 2,000 of its members, including nearly all of its top leaders.
In the past three years, the movement set up headquarters in a multi-story building in Cairo and opened offices across the country for its Freedom and Justice Party.
All of these buildings are likely to be seized under the court order. If upheld, the ruling would also criminalize Brotherhood membership.
A government committee is to manage the confiscated assets until criminal courts deliver their verdicts in cases brought against jailed Brotherhood leaders.
The Muslim Brotherhood "used the pure religion of Islam as a cover for activities that contradict true Islam and violate the law," the court ruled.
The decision further reduces the already remote chances of reconciliation between the interim authorities and the influential movement, which still has a loyal grass-roots base.
"A ban represents a blunt approach in which there is no space for the Brotherhood in political and social life," said Michael Hanna, an Egypt specialist with the New York-based Century Foundation think tank.
Senior Brotherhood members had told AFP the movement was willing to concede its core demand for Morsi's reinstatement, but wanted guarantees its imprisoned members would be released and its leaders would be allowed to operate freely.
But the interim government feels little incentive to make a deal with the Brotherhood that would alter its roadmap for a new constitution and then elections by mid-2014, analysts say.
The government says it is for the courts to decide whether to release the Brotherhood members currently in custody, who face charges including incitement to murder.
More than 100 policemen have been killed in clashes with Morsi's supporters since his overthrow.
Dozens of churches and Christian-owned properties have also been torched by Islamists angry at the support given to the coup by the leadership of the Coptic Church.
Under Morsi, the Brotherhood had tried to legalize its status by registering an NGO in its name.
"There were issues of transparency that needed to be addressed in a legal fashion. It should have been allowed to re-register to clarify it's funding stream," Hanna said.
The Brotherhood registered the NGO amid a court case examining the movement's legality.
But the registration, under a government minister belonging to the movement, was opaque and rushed, Hanna said.
over 10 years
You are forgetting Iran.
over 10 years
Let me speak for Gaegae: "I happy the MB are banned as they represent the Sunni version of what HA is to Shiites".
over 10 years
The banning of the brotherhood should be lesson to them that no matter how much you stick to the rules your enemies will do anything to remove you and only understand subjugation.
over 10 years
It depends on what you do. Democracy does not begin and end after the election process is concluded. Democracy does not mean that when an election is won by a 51% majority of any political group than the newly formed government of that group will usurp all the powers (Executive, Legislative and Judicial) of the government to the detriment of the remaining 49%. If next year, another election is held in Egypt, and this time the Christians win the election. Do you want the new President, let's say, "Mr. Nicholas Christian Salib" take the same steps and try to make the same changes in Egypt as Morsi did? You got to be kidding me? In fact, Morsi should have done more to the Non-Muslim Bros. parties in order to keep the country together and lead for all.
over 10 years
So, basically, next time around, if the moderate win, than they will reverse everything that Morsi did and back to the vicious cycle. My advice to you is to keep your religion inside the privacy of your homes and houses of God if indeed you are praying for God. If you fear God, then you shouldn't have a "Mosque" as your avatar because there is one true God, and God encompasses and accepts all legitimate religious sects that believe in "One God" who sent Jesus Christ to enlighten and inform his Children about this singularity.
over 10 years
I wish the same happens in Lebanon and ban the iranian and saudi arabian scum,
Partition please.
over 10 years
In Lebanon they need to ban Syrian influence.
over 10 years
I hope so too. The puppet masters, in this case the U.S., took away the combat jets from the Lebanese Air Force and dismantled it that military branch. Their excuse was that the jets may get in the wrong hands and attack Israel. Like Israel wouldn't be able to confront and shoot down the "3" Lebanese jets that existed at the time. I respect the Lebanese Army and those who serve, but it has been tainted and designed by foreign interests to be in a vulnerable state. So, Lebanon was exposed to a cancerous disease, divided and now is being raped.
over 10 years
the mb was banned because it started acting in its OWN self interest and put it above that of the country. They banned christians, woman and other groups from governmental positions. Attacks on churches, army and security personnel increased as it made islamic groups, more brazen by the mb 'victory' went wild and mb failed to try to do anything substantial about it. Not to mention that mb's policies started killing Egypt's primary source of revenue--it's tourist trade.
Now, you want to build a democracy, you have to protect the rights of minorities and can't have a single party try to usurp those rights.
over 10 years
It was Qatar that supported the mb. UAE, Kuwait and saudi all supported the current govt.
over 10 years
and qatar's ruler is no longer there--his successor doesn't support mb either.
over 10 years
in order to have a participatory form of government, ie democracy, you first have to set a framework on what can be done and HOW it can be done. Take the US for example, you have the bill of rights which can't be touched (although they have been weakened over the years) and in order to add an amendment to the constitution, you need 2/3 of both the house and senate to pass it AND 3/4 of the states. This way there is no rash action like you see from mb.
democracy doesn't work with a mob rules mentality and will crumble.
over 10 years
Southern, I was going to give you an "thumbs up", but did you inject the current Syrian situation. Don't you think we know that already? This is about Egypt's success against extremists that even you should recognize and embrace.
over 10 years
No it is not just about Western imperialists and Zionists. Iran with or without Russia and KSA with our without the West are doing a good job as imperialists.
over 10 years
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, etc. support the Egyptian military, and it is
Qatar, and I think they are sitting alone, supported and is behind Morsi.
over 10 years
bigjohn: Read my comments to Rover98 above. I mean just because other rules have usurped power, does not mean that you and I have the right to do it and keep the vicious cycle alive.
Good Riddance for ever and ever.