Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Muslim Brotherhood Deepens Its Ties on Capitol Hill

Muslim Brotherhood Deepens Its Ties on Capitol Hill

A helicopter view of the U.S. Capitol building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
A helicopter view of the U.S. Capitol building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP / Getty Images)
New evidence suggests the Muslim Brotherhood has big plans for the U.S. and a variety of countries around the globe that involve hundreds of millions of dollars in a bid to gain political influence.
The exact details come from a mole inside a meeting of Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Istanbul, Turkey, and made public in Arabic by the Egyptian news outlet 7th Day.
The gathering took place at the city’s Akgun Hotel with members of the Brotherhood’s U.S.-based revolutionary council among the 21 in attendance.

United States

Much of the conversation focused on attempts to curry favor in Congress.
They reportedly met North Carolina Democrat Congressman David Price – notable for his early condemnation of the 2003 war in Iraq, Californian Congressman Alan Lowenthal and centrist New York Republican John Faso.
The Istanbul meeting was told how Brotherhood officials heard from Price and Lowenthal that they would try to reduce U.S. aid to Egypt by 40 percent by the end of 2017. The Brotherhood is deeply opposed to the current pro-American regime in Cairo.
The organization held rallies in New York’s Times Square and with CAIR and other Islamist organizations in Illinois and Boston.
Among those said to have attended a Brotherhood-backed event was former Barack Obama adviser Dalia Mogahed.

Help Clarion Project educate Congress on the Muslim Brotherhood.

Qatar

Alongside Turkey, Qatar appears to be the main backer of the Brotherhood – to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.
Doha has funneled $100 million to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt since 2014, 7th Day reported. The money was to be used for political and media campaigns as well as supporting the families of Brotherhood members serving time in Egyptian jails. The meeting heard how some 200,000 bank accounts were used in order to transfer the funds. Clarion recently reported on the Muslim Brotherhood’s huge international piggy bank.

Educational Influence

The brotherhood set up its own international university in 2016 with branches in the UK, Canada, Malaysia, Sudan and Thailand. This allows the MB’s disciples from Egypt to legally enter other countries.
The college quickly established partnerships with local universities in several countries. Its degrees are recognized in states including the UK.
Staff recruitment is also an opportunity to bolster the ranks of the wider organization.
The brotherhood also created the UK- and Irish-based Doctors for Freedom to lobby for the release of members currently in Egyptian jails.

Meeting Lawmakers and Diplomats

From 2016-17, Brotherhood officials met politicians and diplomats from dozens of countries. Among them:
  1. Staff at the embassies of 80 nations in Ankara, Turkey
  2. 132 diplomatic delegations at the UN including all Security Council states other than Egypt
  3. Officials and/or lawmakers in the UK, Canada, Ireland and Switzerland
  4. (Through a letter) heads of state of 50 countries along with senior politicians in the U.S. and EU

Protests

The organization staged protests in Geneva, Zurich Berlin, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. In the UK, a professor at Leeds University organized a demonstration in front a London museum.

November 11

The Muslim Brotherhood is considering staging protests on November 11 across Egypt in opposition to the el-Sisi government. If the events go ahead, they will target blue- and white-collar workers and the youth. The organization wants to amass one-million Facebook followers as part of its campaign.
A group of overseas businessmen donated $5 million for the November 11 event.

Help Clarion Project educate Congress on the Muslim Brotherhood.


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Ran Meir
Ran Meir is Clarion Project's Arab affairs analyst.

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