Sen. Cruz and Rep. Diaz-Balart Introduce Bill to Designate Muslim Brotherhood as Terrorist Organization

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) yesterday introduced the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, urging the Secretary of State to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization. The U.S. has officially listed individual members, branches, and charities of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorists, but has not designated the organization as a whole. The Muslim Brotherhood poses a direct and severe threat to U.S. national security through radical jihadist attempts to eliminate and destroy America and its allies.

“This bill recognizes the simple fact that the Muslim Brotherhood is a radical Islamic terrorist group. For years, American presidents of both parties have correctly designated the Brotherhood’s various affiliates, such as Hamas and Ansar al-Sharia, as terrorist groups. They have designated individual Muslim Brotherhood leaders such as Shaykh Abd-al-Majd Al-Zindani, who was complicit in the 2000 attack on the USS Cole, and Sami Al-Hajj, who was captured on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in 2001 running money and weapons for al Qaida, as terrorists. Now we can reject the fantasy that their parent institution is a political entity that is somehow separate from these violent activities,” Sen. Cruz said. “A number of our Muslim allies have taken this common-sense step, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. As this bill details, the Brotherhood’s stated goal is to wage violent jihad against its enemies, and our legislation is a reality check that the United States is on that list as well.”

“I proudly join Sen. Cruz to introduce this bill in both chambers. This legislation codifies into law something that is long overdue. The Muslim Brotherhood has a long history of terrorism around the world. The group supports and stands behind numerous terrorist organizations that are responsible for acts of violence and aggression,” Rep. Diaz-Balart said. “It is time for Congress and the Department of State to recognize and sanction them as they deserve – as a foreign terrorist organization.”

Read the full text of Sen. Cruz’s bill here.

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