President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he plans to designate the Muslim Brotherhood, a nearly century-old Islamist organization that originated in Egypt with branches, political parties and allied movements worldwide, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, taking a significant step against a group often accused of destabilizing the Middle East and influencing the radicalization of young Muslims, according to Just the News. “This will be done in the strongest and most powerful terms. Final documents are being drawn up,” Trump mentioned. Trump has been considering this course of action since his first term. Last week, Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) “foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations.” CAIR rejected this designation and filed a lawsuit against the Texas government. According to Politico, “CAIR says that proclamation, which prohibits its members from buying land in Texas, violates its members’ constitutional property and free speech rights.” In August, Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization was “in the works,” but emphasized that the process is long and careful, in part because the MB has many branches and affiliates that must be reviewed individually. The White House said: “President Trump is confronting the Muslim Brotherhood’s transnational network, which is fueling terrorism and destabilization campaigns against American interests and allies in the Middle East.” During the first Trump administration, the Muslim Brotherhood resisted the potential terrorism designation, saying in 2019 that “we will remain […] steadfast in our work in accordance with our moderate and peaceful thinking in what we believe is right, for honest and constructive cooperation, to serve the communities in which we live and humanity as a whole,” Just the News reported. At the time, the MB also added, “The Muslim Brotherhood will remain stronger – by God’s grace and strength – than any decision.” The organization’s motto is: “Allah is our goal. The prophet is our leader. The Koran is our law. Jihad is our way. To die in the way of Allah is our highest hope.” About The Muslim Brotherhood The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in 1928 by the Sunni imam Hassan al-Banna, with the aim of creating an Islamic state, or caliphate, governed by sharia law. Sayyid Qutb, a prominent thinker and leader of the Muslim Brotherhood during the 1940s to the 1960s, was an Egyptian revolutionary whose advocacy of jihad is believed to have influenced later jihadists, including Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. “The global Muslim Brotherhood has numerous regional branches, including terrorist organizations such as Hamas, and is spreading violence and instability throughout the Middle East,” Díaz-Balart said. Díaz added, “For this reason, it is crucial to US national security interests that we ban US dollars from enabling the Muslim Brotherhood’s dangerous activities, and that we ensure that Muslim Brotherhood members are blocked from entering the United States.” The group has been banned in both Jordan and Egypt, noted a report by BBC. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have labeled it a terrorist organization. Key Takeaways Trump has said he plans to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in 1928 by the Sunni imam Hassan al-Banna, with the aim of creating an Islamic state, or caliphate, governed by sharia law. Sayyid Qutb.