Egypt's Interim Government Declares Muslim Brotherhood a Terrorist Organization

Egypt’s interim government has declared the
Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. The move comes shortly
after the bombing of a police building in northern Egypt that
killed 16 people. Egyptian authorities have
blamed the Muslim Brotherhood for the bombing, despite the fact
that Ansar
Jerusalem, a Sinai-based jihadist group,
has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Today, it was
reported that five people were injured by a bomb blast near a
bus in Cairo.

Ousted President Muhammad Morsi is backed by supporters of the
Muslim Brotherhood, who
took to the streets of cities across Egypt in the wake of the
news of the interim government’s announcement. Morsi, who was sworn
in as president in June last year after winning an election, is

facing a possible death sentence after a prosecutor ordered
that he and other Muslim Brotherhood leaders be tried on charges of
plotting to carry out a terrorist plot with Hamas and
Hezbollah.

According
to CNN, after the Muslim Brotherhood was declared a terrorist
organization State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, “We think
it is essential for Egypt to have an inclusive political process;
it is the best means of restoring the stability that the Egyptian
people want and that is necessary to the country’s economic
recovery,” and that, “There needs to be dialogue and political
participation across the political spectrum.”

Successive American presidents supported Hosni Mubarak, the
former president of Egypt removed from power during the Arab
Spring, who hardly demonstrated support for “an inclusive political
process” during his almost 30-year rule.

It shouldn’t be surprising if the recent news of the Muslim
Brotherhood’s designation results in further unrest in Egypt and an
escalation in the interim government’s crackdown on the group’s
supporters.

The draft
constitution presented to the Egyptian interim president by the
constituent assembly bans political parties “formed on the basis of
religion, gender, race or geography.” A referendum on the draft
constitution is expected next month.

As unpleasant as the Muslim Brotherhood might be, it is hard to
see how Egypt can achieve the restoration of stability Psaki
referred to without the major political movement that supports the
ousted president from being included in Egypt’s political
process.