After HASM, Will the U.S. Designate the Muslim Brotherhood a Terrorist Organization?
January 21, 2021, 12:31 pm

After HASM, Will the U.S. Designate the Muslim Brotherhood a Terrorist Organization?

Dalia Ziada

A few days before the official transfer of power, in the United States, from the Republican President Trump to the Democrat President Biden, political chaos is raging, in an unprecedented way, across the capital city of Washington, D.C. as a result of sharp political fractions between the far-right supporters of Trump and the far-left supporters of Biden. However, this did not prevent the Trump Administration from announcing some important decisions related to the Middle East, in an attempt to fulfill some of Trump’s promises to pursue terrorist organizations in the region.

In the first week of January, the U.S. State Department announced designating the Iran-backed Houthi group, in Yemen, as a terrorist organization. The step came as no surprise to the observers who considered this designation as part of the Trump administration’s war on Iran. But the real surprise happened, a few days after that, in mid-January, when the State Department announced the designation of the Egyptian HASM militia on the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). This designation renewed hope that the U.S. may consider designating the Muslim Brotherhood, the parent organization of HASM, as a foreign terrorist organization.

Previously, in 2018, the U.S. State Department designated HASM and Liwa’ al-Thawra, which is also a militia affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). HASM and Liwaa Al-Thawra are armed groups affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood and have been operating in Egypt, since the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood regime, in 2013. Their goal was to cause extreme chaos that forces the military to return the Muslim Brotherhood regime back in power.

HASM was formed by young members of the Muslim Brotherhood, who fled to Turkey later on, in early 2015, and from there, the leaders of HASM continued to command operations implemented by the Muslim Brotherhood young members who could not flee Egypt. HASM operations, in Egypt, targeted police and military personnel and their families. The most prominent operation by HASM was the assassination of Egypt’s Attorney General, Hisham Barakat, on his way to work, in June 2015.

In the same statement, the State Department mentioned that they reviewed the FTO designation of the Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and decided to maintain it. PIJ operates in Gaza and is generously supported by Qatar and Iran. However, PIJ originally belongs to Hamas, which in turn is one of the military arms of the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas, also, is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Britain, and some other countries, since 1990s.

The U.S. designation of HASM as FTO is a new evidence that the Muslim Brotherhood is a violent group that qualifies to be designated as a terrorist organization. HASM, HAMAS, Liwa’ Al-Thawra, and PIJ are armed factions of the Muslim Brotherhood and all of them are designated as terrorist organizations. The motto of the group, since its foundation a century ago, honors violent jihad as their way to spread the word of God. Yet, unfortunately, the U.S. is still hand-tied by legal and political considerations on this particular issue.

From the legal point of view, there is a difficulty proving that the Brotherhood is acting as a unilateral organization, where all its members, including renowned politicians affiliated to the group in several countries, incite and practice violence. The cluster structure of the Muslim Brotherhood organization and its widely spread cells, worldwide, makes it difficult to prove its unilaterality in systemic use of violence.

Politically, the Muslim Brotherhood has become an expired card for those who previously supported them, including Turkey, Qatar, and Britain, because of the severe divisions among the leaders. Yet, the group still has got high-profile politicians acting in leading official positions in some Middle Eastern countries, such as Turkey, Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco. Designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization means cutting diplomatic relations with those countries and thus jeopardizing U.S. political, economic, and security interests that are, directly or indirectly, linked to them.

In fact, one can hardly be optimistic that the new US administration of President Biden may take a step towards designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. However, we must continue our efforts to document the violent atrocities practiced by the Muslim Brotherhood and educate the public opinion, around the world, about the extremist ideology of the group, which feeds the extremist rhetoric of all the Islamist terrorist organizations, known to us today. Exposing the ugly face of the Muslim Brotherhood is necessary to limit the group from abusing the current global turbulence in economic, political and health sectors to regain their power or win popular approval.

by: Dalia Ziada

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.