The British government is ramping up efforts to curtail the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence, focusing on reducing its power and financial resources.
This action is part of the UK’s broader strategy to counter what it perceives as extremist elements within the group, which may resort to spreading misinformation and distorting facts to maintain their foothold.
Last week, the British authorities escalated their actions by placing the Muslim Brotherhood at the top of their extremism list, aligning with the UK’s revised definition of extremism. This definition identifies extremism as the promotion or encouragement of ideologies founded on violence, hatred, or bigotry, with intentions to subvert or overthrow Britain’s liberal parliamentary democracy, or to deliberately foster conditions conducive to such outcomes.
The British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak emphasized that this definition is key to battling what he terms as a “poison” to democracy, highlighting the alarming rise in extremist disruptions and criminal activities that pose a threat to the nation’s order.
Michael Gove, the British Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, in a parliamentary address, named three groups associated with the Muslim Brotherhood: the Islamic Association in Britain (MAB), CAGE International, and Mind.
He voiced concerns about these and other groups, including the British Muslim Association, the UK branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Gove stressed the necessity of evaluating these organizations against the new extremism criteria to determine appropriate actions.
Following these developments, Azzam Tamimi, a prominent figure in the Muslim Brotherhood’s media network, openly criticized the British government’s list. He described it as targeting honorable entities defending truth and justice, suggesting the government’s sensitivity to their cause.
This situation has sparked a series of actions and reactions, with the Brotherhood’s media arms, particularly under Tamimi’s direction, challenging the new anti-extremism law in the UK. The British Muslim Association, among others, has been active in denouncing the legislation, claiming it unfairly targets Islamic organizations and restricts their operations.
Tamimi, responsible for the Muslim Brotherhood’s media and broadcasting strategies, also founded a company supplying broadcasting equipment for the organization’s channels.
Tamimi’s ascendancy in the Brotherhood’s ranks, predating the January 25, 2011 events, highlights his role in connecting the international Brotherhood with its regional branches.
Born in Hebron, Palestine, Tamimi moved with his family to Kuwait before settling in Britain. He became a British citizen and climbed the organizational ladder through the Islamic Association in Britain, implicated in previous British investigations into the Brotherhood.
This ongoing conflict between the British government and the Muslim Brotherhood unfolds within a complex web of political, ideological, and community dynamics.
