ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Researchers, experts, and specialists from multiple countries affirmed that Islamist extremism cannot be understood without examining the ideological foundations underpinning political Islam, nor can it be eliminated without addressing the thought propagated by it.
This was discussed during the Fourth Annual Forum on Political Islam, organized by TRENDS Research & Advisory at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi under the theme "The Muslim Brotherhood and Violence," bringing together a distinguished panel of researchers and experts from around the world.
Eighteen researchers and academics from the UAE, France, Morocco, Tunisia, Germany, and Canada called for thorough intellectual dialogue between the West and the Arab world to gain a deeper understanding of this phenomenon and to counter it with multi-dimensional approaches.
Speakers at the forum emphasised the importance of unequivocally condemning terrorism and extremism in all their forms, rejecting double standards in examining these phenomena, and affirming that terrorism should not be linked to any specific religion or nationality. They called for redefining terrorism to include not only those who engage in violence but also those who theorize, justify, and support it.
Experts underscored the importance of countering terrorism and rejecting its exploitation as a tool for geopolitical goals. They highlighted the need for dialogue between Western and Arab academia to deepen understanding of extremist and Islamist violence, as well as the need to address the ideological justifications for violence and develop intellectual and practical strategies to effectively counter extremist ideologies.
A Platform for Intellectual Exchange
The forum opened with welcoming remarks by Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS Research & Advisory, who stressed the forum's importance in analyzing and deconstructing the narratives of political Islamist groups and examining the challenges these groups pose to societies and countries.
He noted that the forum was established with three main objectives: analysing the ideological foundations of extremism leading to violence in the Muslim Brotherhood through case studies, exploring the intellectual and operational links between the Muslim Brotherhood and terrorist organisations, and highlighting the hybrid nature of the Muslim Brotherhood and the challenges it poses to understanding and countering extremism.
Dr. Al-Ali emphasized that the participation of researchers from multiple countries, such as France, Morocco, Tunisia, and Germany, strengthens the forum’s role as a link between TRENDS and global think tanks.
This collaboration aims to combat extremist ideologies, especially those promoted by the Muslim Brotherhood, which foster divisions within societies. He reiterated the importance of confronting these ideologies by promoting the concepts of moderation, tolerance, and coexistence.
A Core Issue
In her keynote address at the forum, Dr. Khadija Farhan Al-Humaid, Director of Student Affairs at Rabdan Academy, emphasised that discussing the Muslim Brotherhood and its association with violence is not merely an intellectual debate; rather, it touches the very essence of community stability and security. It raises critical questions about the role ideologies play in shaping political and social behaviors and practices.
She explained that the goal of this forum is not only to present historical facts or conduct academic analysis, but to open a responsible, objective dialogue on how to address the challenges posed by groups that adopt violence as a means to achieve their goals. She stated, “We need a deeper understanding of why such ideologies spread and how to effectively confront them with intellectual and practical measures.”
Deconstructing Ideas
Following her remarks, the forum commenced its first panel titled, “The Ideological Foundations of Extremism Leading to Violence in the Muslim Brotherhood.” Professor Mouhanad Khorchide, Head of the Center for Islamic Theology at the University of Münster, participated via video conference, aligning with TRENDS Research & Advisory’s approach to examining religiously motivated extremism. This approach involves deconstructing the foundational ideas that underlie such phenomena, as well as those that sympathise with them, while highlighting alternative forms of religiosity that are not hostile to the nation-state or the principles of tolerance and coexistence.
Transformed Concepts
Dr. Rita Faraj, Researcher and Member of the Editorial Board, Al Mesbar Studies & Research Centre, discussed the extensive transformations in classical Islamic concepts brought about by Islamists, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood. She highlighted the dangers these transformed concepts pose to Arab collective consciousness, traditional Islam, and national stability. Dr. Faraj focused on two core concepts used by the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi theorists since the 1930s: Sharia and the State.
Identifying the Problem
Dr. Wael Saleh, Political Islam Expert at TRENDS Research & Advisory and Director of its Montreal office, presented a paper examining Western academic approaches to studying the extremism and violence associated with the Muslim Brotherhood. He explained how these approaches translate into systematic methods for studying extremist Islamism, emphasizing the need for a new epistemological approach that is more aware and precise in understanding the causes of Islamist violence.
Dr. Saleh also highlighted several epistemological and ethical challenges faced by studies on extremism leading to violence in the name of Islam, particularly what he termed the “laundering of violence.” He underscored the need for a more conscious and nuanced framework to understand the nature and causes of Islamist extremism leading to violence, proposing an approach that takes context into account, identifying the ideas that justify, theorize, or defend violence. Such ideas are indispensable to extremists, as they cannot act under their form of religiosity without them.
A Hybrid Approach
The second panel, titled "The Violence of the Muslim Brotherhood: Case Studies," was moderated by Abdulla Al-Khaja, Researcher at TRENDS. Dr. Ralf Thiele, President of EuroDefense Germany, delivered a significant presentation, discussing the recent terrorist attack in the city of Solingen. He noted that this incident highlights the alarming risks posed by Islamism in Germany and Europe, emphasizing that these risks remain prevalent. Dr. Thiele pointed out that such terrorist acts occur within the broader context of global shifts, as some actors within the political Islamist movement attempt to exploit global upheavals to advance their interests, guided by a radical interpretation of Islam.
Dr. Thiele explained that the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters follow a hybrid approach, infiltrating the gray areas within constitutional democratic states, viewing this environment as a fertile ground for Islamist activities. These efforts aim to reshape democratic political systems according to undemocratic and anti-liberal principles.
He highlighted that small groups of active Muslim Brotherhood members have successfully established a broad network of NGOs, mosques, schools, lobbying groups, and other institutions, wielding considerable influence within both Muslim communities and European political and civil society.
Hidden Violence
Dr. Amr El-Shobaki, former member of the Egyptian Parliament, offered further insight, suggesting that when examining the Muslim Brotherhood’s literature on violence, particularly the writings of its founder Hassan Al-Banna, the group's approach could be described as "hidden violence." This form of violence appears between the lines of the group’s rhetoric, often intertwined with other aspects of their ideology. He explained that the ideological training of the “jihadi brother” served as the foundation for the Muslim Brotherhood's Special Apparatus, embracing violence both as a concept and practice. This laid the groundwork for the armed organization of the mid-1960s, which led to acts of violence committed by members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Case Study
Hamad Al-Hosani, Researcher in Political Islam at TRENDS, presented a historical account of the Muslim Brotherhood’s involvement in violence since its inception, revealing the falsehood of the group’s claims to reject violence. He argued that the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology has served as the foundation for extremist organizations such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS, which emerged from this extremist thought. Since its founding, the Muslim Brotherhood has attempted to position itself as a moderate face of political Islamist movements, purporting to reject all forms of violence, extremism, and terrorism. However, a closer analysis of the Muslim Brotherhood's history, literature, and ideological principles unveils the falsity of these claims, as the group has, in fact, been a source of extremism and terrorism in the region and the world.
The Reciprocity of Ideas
Following a brief break, the third panel titled "Intellectual and Operational Links between the Muslim Brotherhood and Terrorist Organizations" commenced, moderated by Noura Al-Hebsi, Director of Publications at TRENDS. Omar Al-Bashir Al-Turabi, Editor-in-Chief at Al Mesbar Studies & Research Centre, spoke on how the justification of terrorism itself represents a form of violence, with extremist rhetoric endorsing the use of violence to achieve political and religious objectives.
Al-Turabi emphasized terrorism as a rebellion against the concept of the nation-state, creating a point of convergence between the Muslim Brotherhood and other groups. He highlighted the Muslim Brotherhood's opposition to the idea of the nation-state since its founding, instead promoting the idea of a "caliphate" as an alternative to nation-states. This ideology has justified violence as a means to resist existing governments, reflecting a rebellion against national sovereignty. He pointed out that the Muslim Brotherhood’s exclusionary and takfiri beliefs remain consistent and that there exists a continuous, mutually beneficial relationship between the Muslim Brotherhood and terrorist organizations.
One Entity
Dr. Zainab Toujani, Professor of Islamic Civilization at University of Manouba in Tunisia, explained that Islamism is built upon a foundational violence that regards the society it emerged in as "ignorant" and labels divergent Muslims, let alone non-Muslims, as infidels. This takfiri ideology forms the basis of the violent jihadi thinking, which pursues the eradication of those it considers different.
She elaborated that political Islam, or jihadist Islam, represents two faces of a single entity, whose violence stems from the same soil—the soil of "sacred ignorance." This ideology leads to takfir, disregard for the right to life, and contempt for the rights of others.
Intellectual and Organizational Links
Mountassir Hamada, Researcher at the Maghreb Center for Studies and Research, explored the theoretical and practical commonalities among various Islamist movements regarding violence, terrorism, and violent extremism. He noted certain key factors to consider in this context and raised a series of questions for further investigation toward a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. He remarked that the field experience of the Muslim Brotherhood, both before and after the events of 2011, confirmed the involvement of some of its members in violent acts.
The Problematic Relationship
Farid Belkacem, Associate Professor, Higher Institute of Human Sciences, University of Tunis El Manar, discussed the complex relationship between the Muslim Brotherhood and terrorist organizations in both its intellectual and organizational dimensions.
He argued that various Islamist groups share a set of ideas, including the politicization of religion, identity-based ideologies, nostalgia, exclusivity, and populism—all of which contribute to an exclusionary approach toward others. He pointed out that the links between the Muslim Brotherhood and terrorist organizations are evident on several levels, particularly in their similar hierarchical structures, where followers are expected to pledge allegiance to an "infallible" leader.
Ideological and Operational Links
In his presentation, Dr. Ali Bakr, Political Islam Expert at TRENDS Research & Advisory, asserted that the Muslim Brotherhood serves as the ideological and organizational umbrella under which most of today’s terrorist organizations have emerged. He noted that these terrorist and extremist groups adopted core ideological principles from the Muslim Brotherhood, such as the idea of the exclusivity of Islam, positioning themselves as the sole and absolute authority representing the "true" Islamic model. This belief has led to hostility among these groups, each claiming to be the only legitimate representative of Islam.
Initiating Dialogue
The forum concluded with a constructive dialogue on various ideas discussed throughout the panels. The forum’s final recommendations and outcomes were then presented, emphasising that terrorism and violent extremism in the name of Islam cannot exist without Islamist theorizing, cannot persist without its justification and normalization by certain scholars, and cannot grow without its geopolitical use as an alternative to direct warfare. The forum’s primary objective, it was emphasized, is to initiate dialogue between academia and scholars to gain a better understanding of extremism leading to violdence in the name of Islam, theorized and practiced by the Muslim Brotherhood.