Muslim Brotherhood

Sunni Islamic movement founded in Egypt in 1928, active throughout the Arab world although banned in most countries. It aims at the establishment of a Muslim state governed by Islamic law.

The movement, founded by Hasan al-Banna (1906-1949), also operates under different names, such as the People of the Call (Alh al-Da'wa) in Algeria and Islamic Party (al Hizb al-Islami) in Tunisia.

The Muslim Brotherhood is headed by a ‘supreme guide’. It has grown to become the most prominent Sunni Islamic movement, and gained political acceptance in Jordan, in 1989 winning 20 out of 80 seats in the House of Representatives, and joining the government in 1991. However, in Syria, membership became a capital crime 1980.