Factbox-Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood and its role
Here are some basic facts about the Brotherhood and the political party that is widely seen as its parliamentary wing:
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) – Jordan outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's most vocal opposition group, and confiscated its assets on Wednesday after members were found to be linked to a sabotage plot, Interior Minister Mazen Fraya said.
The Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in the 1920s as an Islamic political movement to counter the spread of secular and nationalist ideas. It swiftly spread through Muslim countries, becoming a major player but often operating in secret.
Although it works illegally as a clandestine organisation in many countries, it had been officially licensed in Jordan since independence in 1946 as a charitable and social organisation when the monarchy regarded the group as a potential ally.
It has widespread grassroots support in major urban areas and scores of offices around the country.
The Brotherhood does not operate under its own name as a political party but the Islamic Action Front (IAF) is widely regarded as its – unacknowledged – political wing.
The IAF, whose head Wael Saqqa said on Wednesday the party has 'no organisational ties' with the Brotherhood, has been one of the biggest forces in parliament since Jordan legalised political parties in 1992.
Saqqa's party offices were raided on Wednesday and documents seized.
WHAT DO THE AUTHORITIES THINK?
Despite its long presence in Jordan, the Brotherhood fell under official suspicion after the 2011 Arab Spring, when Islamists vied for sway with established powers across the Middle East.
Jordan for years resisted pressure from Gulf Arab countries and Egypt, which have long been suspicious of the Brotherhood, to ban the organisation.
But in keeping with a regional crackdown on political Islam and public freedoms, Jordan tightened restrictions on the group over the past two years, forbidding its public rallies and arresting vocal dissidents.
Jordanian authorities had also encouraged a splinter group to legally challenge the main movement's license to operate but until Wednesday, they had shied away from an outright ban.
Security officials say the suspects arrested last week were directly linked to the Lebanese wing of Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas.
Jordan's political establishment now views the Brotherhood as having tried to form a clandestine militia and posing a direct challenge to the state, crossing a red line.
The Brotherhood said the group arrested over a plot that was unveiled last week had links to it but acted in its own capacity. The arrested group had sought to smuggle weapons to Palestinians but did not plan attacks inside Jordan, according to the Brotherhood.
THE ISLAMIC ACTION FRONT
The IAF took more seats than any other party in last year's parliamentary elections, giving it 31 of the 138 seats for the first time, but it remained in opposition to the pro-Western government.
Although the IAF says Jordan's political system treats it unfairly, it has competed in most elections. It says this is necessary to prevent it falling into the political wilderness and to ensure a vocal opposition.
The party commands strong support in the cities, especially in Palestinian areas, but has also become more popular in tribal areas in recent years.
In a country where anti-Israel sentiment runs high, the IAF has led some of the largest protests in the region in support of Hamas during the war in Gaza, and its opponents say this has helped boost its popularity.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The government says the courts will deliver the final verdict at the end of the trial on those implicated in the plot.
Meanwhile it has said that any organisation promoting the Brotherhood's ideology will also be banned, raising questions about the future of the IAF.
The Amman government may push both the IAF and individual members of parliament to disavow the Brotherhood, though it is not yet clear how that would work or what it could mean for the seats the IAF now holds.
(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; editing by Angus McDowall and Mark Heinrich)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
33 minutes ago
- First Post
Wrongfully deported man returned to US to face migrant-smuggling charges
Abrego Garcia's homecoming represented a watershed moment in a case cited by critics of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown as evidence that the government was violating civil liberties in its quest to increase deportations read more Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant who lived in the US legally with a work permit and was erroneously deported to El Salvador, is seen wearing a Chicago Bulls hat, in this handout image obtained by Reuters on April 9, 2025. File Photo/Reuters Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man wrongfully deported from Maryland to El Salvador by the Trump administration, has been flown back to the United States to face criminal charges for transporting illegal aliens within the country, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Friday. Abrego Garcia's homecoming represented a watershed moment in a case cited by critics of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown as evidence that the government was violating civil liberties in its quest to increase deportations. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Abrego Garcia, 29, a Salvadoran whose wife and young child in Maryland are US citizens, appeared in federal court in Nashville on Friday evening. His arraignment was set for June 13, when he will enter a plea, according to local media reports. Until then, he will remain in federal custody. If convicted, he would be deported to El Salvador after serving his sentence, Bondi said. The Trump administration has said Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 gang, an accusation that his lawyers deny. Officials on Friday portrayed the indictment of Abrego Garcia by a federal grand jury in Tennessee as vindication of their approach to immigration enforcement. 'The man has a horrible past, and I could see a decision being made, bring him back, show everybody how horrible this guy is,' Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that it was the Justice Department that decided to bring Abrego Garcia back. According to the indictment, Abrego Garcia worked with at least five co-conspirators as part of a smuggling ring to bring immigrants to the United States illegally, then transport them from the US-Mexico border to destinations in the country. Abrego Garcia often picked up migrants in Houston, making more than 100 trips between Texas and Maryland between 2016 and 2025, the indictment alleges. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It also accuses Abrego Garcia of transporting firearms and drugs. According to the indictment, one of Abrego Garcia's co-conspirators belonging to the same ring was involved in the transportation of migrants whose tractor trailer overturned in Mexico in 2021, resulting in 50 deaths. Abrego Garcia's lawyer, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, called the criminal charges 'fantastical' and a 'kitchen sink' of allegations. 'This is all based on the statements of individuals who are currently either facing prosecution or in federal prison,' he said. 'I want to know what they offered those people.' The indictment also led to a high-level resignation in the federal prosecutor's office in Nashville, with news that Ben Schrader, chief of the criminal division for the Middle District of Tennessee, had resigned in protest. A 15-year veteran of the US Attorney's Office, Schrader had grown increasingly uncomfortable with the administration's actions, and the indictment of Abrego Garcia was 'the final straw,' a person familiar with the situation told Reuters. Schrader declined comment. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Schrader had posted notice of his resignation on LinkedIn last month, around the time the indictment was filed under seal, but he did not give a reason. Abrego Garcia was deported on March 15, more than two months before the charges were filed. He was briefly held in a mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, despite a US immigration judge's 2019 order barring him from being sent to El Salvador because he would likely be persecuted by gangs. Bondi said Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele had agreed to return Abrego Garcia after US officials presented his government with an arrest warrant. 'The grand jury found that over the past nine years, Abrego Garcia has played a significant role in an alien smuggling ring,' she told a press conference. In a court filing on Friday, federal prosecutors asked a judge to keep Abrego Garcia detained pending trial. Citing an unnamed co-conspirator, prosecutors said Abrego Garcia joined MS-13 in El Salvador by murdering a rival gang member's mother. The indictment does not charge Abrego Garcia with murder. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Abrego Garcia could face 10 years in prison for each migrant he is convicted of transporting, prosecutors said, a punishment that potentially could keep him incarcerated for the rest of his life. Tensions with the courts The case has become a symbol of escalating tensions between the Trump administration and the judiciary, which has blocked a number of the president's signature policies. More recently, the US Supreme Court has backed Trump's hardline approach to immigration in other cases. After Abrego Garcia's lawyers challenged the basis for his deportation, the US Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to facilitate his return, with liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor saying the government had cited no basis for what she called his 'warrantless arrest.' US District Judge Paula Xinis has opened a probe into what, if anything, the Trump administration had done to secure his return, after Abrego Garcia's lawyers accused officials of stonewalling their requests for information. That led to concerns among Trump's critics that his administration would openly defy court orders. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a court filing on Friday, Justice Department lawyers told Xinis that Abrego Garcia's return meant they were in compliance with the order to facilitate bringing him back to the US Sandoval-Moshenberg said Abrego Garcia's return did not mean the government was in compliance, asserting that his client must be placed in immigration proceedings before the same judge who handled his 2019 case. Chris Van Hollen, a Democratic US senator from Maryland who visited Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, said in a statement on Friday that the Trump administration has 'finally relented to our demands for compliance with court orders and the due process rights afforded to everyone in the United States.' 'The administration will now have to make its case in the court of law, as it should have all along,' Van Hollen said.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
This Muslim country has banned animal sacrifice on Eid al-Adha — know the ‘royal' reason
For the first time in years, Morocco will observe Eid al-Adha — the 'Festival of Sacrifice' — without its central ritual: the slaughter of sheep. Muslims in the North African nation, Morocco, will abstain from the animal sacrifice ritual due to a royal directive from King Mohammed VI, who urged citizens to abstain from the practice due to the country's deepening economic difficulties and a prolonged agricultural crisis, according to a report by The Guardian. In a statement broadcast in February by Morocco's Islamic affairs minister on the state-run Al Aoula TV channel, the king said, 'Performing it in these difficult circumstances will cause real harm to large segments of our people, especially those with limited income.' The monarch, who is also the kingdom's highest religious authority, added that he would perform the sacrifice on behalf of all Moroccans. The North African nation has been suffering the consequences of a six-year drought, which has severely impacted the country's livestock population. Reports suggest that sheep herds have declined by nearly 38 percent since 2016. With supply shrinking, prices have skyrocketed. Last year, a single sheep sold for as much as $600 (approximately ₹51,426), far exceeding Morocco's monthly minimum wage of $324 (₹27,833). As a result, many families can no longer afford to participate in the tradition. A survey by the Moroccan Centre for Citizenship found that 55 percent of households struggled to bear the cost of sacrificial animals. In response to the crisis, the Moroccan government suspended import duties and value-added tax on cattle and sheep in its 2025 budget to help control prices. Although the king's directive marks a rare intervention, it is not unprecedented. His father, King Hassan II, suspended Eid sacrifices on three occasions during his reign — in times of war, drought, and under IMF-imposed austerity that removed food subsidies. Morocco, where more than 99 percent of the population identifies as Muslim, has one of the highest red meat consumption rates in Africa.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Eid-ul-Adha celebrated across country; Muslims pray at mosques
Eid-ul-Adha was celebrated across the country on Saturday with Muslims gathering at mosques in large numbers to offer prayers and later performing the traditional sacrifice of animals commemorating the faith and devotion of Prophet Ibrahim. Top leaders greeted people, especially Muslims, on the occasion. In a post in Urdu on X, President Droupadi Murmu said, "On the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Adha, I extend my heartfelt greetings and best wishes to all the citizens of the country, especially our Muslim brothers and sisters. This festival brings to mind the spirit of sacrifice, devotion and the importance of several noble principles. "Let us all pledge to work together for the society and the country on this sacred occasion with a spirit of self-sacrifice." Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dermatologist: Avoid this Household Item (It's Speeding up the Aging Process) Blissy Learn More Undo Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said the festival is a reminder of the power of sacrifice and the blessing of generosity. In a post on X, he said the values of selflessness and service that the festival upholds are timeless virtues that enrich the country's democratic fabric and strengthen the bonds of its diverse society. Live Events Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his best wishes on the occasion, saying, "May this occasion inspire harmony and strengthen the fabric of peace in our society. Wishing everyone good health and prosperity." One of the main Islamic festivals, it commemorates the willingness of Abraham, considered a prophet by Abrahamic religions, to sacrifice his son to obey the command of God, the prime minister said. Eid-ul-Adha was celebrated across Kashmir with people gathering at mosques in large numbers to offer prayers, officials said in Srinagar. The biggest such assembly was at the Hazratbal shrine, where over 40,000 people gathered for prayers, they said. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were among those who offered the prayers at Hazratbal. Smaller gatherings were reported at all Muslim places of worship across the valley, except for the historic Jamia Masjid in the old city, as the authorities refused permission to hold prayers at Eidgah. Thousands of sheep, goats and other animals were sacrificed across the valley according to the tradition, they said. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha greeted the Muslim community on the occasion. A police official said Eid prayers passed off peacefully, and there was no report of any untoward incident. Authorities in Srinagar barred Eid prayers from taking place at the Eidgah ground and the Jama Masjid in the old city, while Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq claimed that he was put under house arrest. In Jammu city, large crowds gathered at mosques and Eidgahs to offer special prayers across the ten districts of the region, with the largest congregation offering namaz at the Eidgah. Other smaller congregations were held at various mosques throughout Jammu, including the Mecca Masjid. Following the prayers, people performed the traditional sacrifice of animals such as sheep, goats and cattle, commemorating the faith and devotion of Prophet Ibrahim. Officials said all Eid gatherings passed off peacefully across the region. In the national capital, the Delhi Police stepped up security arrangements across the city to maintain law and order and ensure peaceful celebration of Eid ul-Azha, an official said. Elaborate deployments were made in sensitive areas, with the mobilisation of Rapid Action Force (RAF), paramilitary forces and local police teams to maintain law and order during the festivity. The official said open-air animal sacrifices, prayers in public spaces without permission, and the sacrifice of prohibited animals are not allowed during the festival. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and other political leaders extended greetings on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. Muslims celebrated Eid-ul-Adha, also known as Bakrid, with pomp and religious fervour in Mumbai. Special prayers were held at masjids to mark the 'festival of sacrifice', and livestock were slaughtered at abattoirs and places designated by the civic authorities. In a post on X, Fadnavis wrote, "EidAlAdha wishes to all! Eid Mubarak." Gaiety blended with solemnity as a large number of Muslims in Bhopal offered prayers at mosques and the Eidgah to mark Eid-ul-Adha. A senior cleric said prayers were offered for the people of Palestine and the protection of India's borders from enemies. Shahar Qazi Syed Mushtaq Ali Nadwi and Maulana Hassan Khan led the prayers at Bhopal Eidgah and Taj-ul-Masajid, respectively. Wearing traditional attire and prayer caps, devotees, including children, gathered in large numbers to participate in special prayers. Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar and Chief Minister Hemant Soren extended their best wishes on the occasion. "Heartfelt congratulations to everyone on Eid-ul-Adha. I pray that you all remain healthy, happy, and prosperous," Soren posted on X. In Ranchi, a large number of people offered prayers at prominent mosques and Eidgahs. Elaborate security arrangements were made across the state in view of the festival.
