Tharwat al-Kharbawi: Designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization reveals secrets of its funding
In a significant development reflecting a radical shift in international policies toward political Islamist movements, Saudi Arabia welcomed the US decision to designate branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in several countries as terrorist organizations. This move, which culminates a long series of warnings from Saudi Arabia and Egypt, raises serious questions about the future of the group, founded in 1928, and its ability to survive in the face of financial constraints and cross-border legal action.
Historical context: From the call to the secret organization
To understand the depth of this earthquake shaking the group's structure, it is necessary to return to the organization's historical roots. Since its founding by Hassan al-Banna, the group has adopted a dual structure: a public, socially-oriented, and missionary front, and a secret, special apparatus (the Special Apparatus) that undertook military operations and political violence. Despite the group's persistent attempts to deny its connection to violence in recent decades, the writings of Sayyid Qutb, particularly his concepts of "sovereignty" and "ignorance" (jahiliyya), have remained the solid intellectual foundation upon which the group justifies its clashes with regimes and societies. This has made it—according to counterterrorism experts—the intellectual incubator for most contemporary violent organizations.
Insider testimony: Al-Kharbawi opens the black box
In this context, the interview with Tharwat al-Kharbawi, a lawyer and member of the Egyptian Senate who defected from the group, takes on exceptional importance. Al-Kharbawi, who has been intimately involved with the organization for many years, confirms in his interview with Al-Youm that the American decision has created a state of “structural confusion” within the group. He points out that the leadership immediately resorted to invoking the historical “narrative of hardship” to ensure the cohesion of the rank and file, portraying the decision as a divine trial rather than the result of political errors and actual crimes.
The shift towards “clustering” and cryptocurrencies
Regarding the repercussions of the decision on the ground, Kharbawi reveals dangerous shifts in the group's tactics to evade security oversight and asset freezes. He indicates that the organization has already begun abandoning its traditional hierarchical structure (large families) in favor of very small "cluster cells" to minimize losses in the event of a security breach. Financially, the group is moving towards complete reliance on "digital finance" and cryptocurrencies, in addition to informal money transfer networks (the hawala system), to circumvent the international banking sanctions that banks will impose in compliance with the US decision.
The Muslim Brotherhood as a "breeding ground" for extremism
At a crucial juncture, Kharbawi emphasizes that the relationship between the Muslim Brotherhood and extremist organizations is not a temporary alliance, but rather a "structural" one. He asserts that the Brotherhood has historically been the de facto founder or spiritual inspiration of organizations such as Takfir wal-Hijra, Jihad, and ultimately al-Qaeda and ISIS, with most of the leaders of these organizations emerging from the Brotherhood's ranks or being influenced by the writings of Sayyid Qutb. Kharbawi believes that the terrorist designation forces the world to confront the reality that the Brotherhood is the "bridge" across which young people cross from emotional religiosity to violent extremism.
An uncertain future and a message for young people
Al-Kharbawi concludes his testimony with a bleak vision of the group's future, describing it as suffering from "intellectual and organizational stagnation." He argues that the failure of their governing project was not accidental, but rather the inevitable result of a "secret organization" mentality that failed to grasp the concept of the "nation-state." He directs a warning message to young people sympathetic to the group, urging them to protect their minds from the idea of "hearing and obeying," which stifles critical thinking and reduces the vastness of religion to a narrow organization. He emphasizes that breaking free from the organization's grip is a victory for conscience and the nation.
