🌍 Introduction
On September 30, 2025, Israeli journalist and influencer Eitan Fischberger published a post on X highlighting a groundbreaking paper by the Center for Sawaab — a joint initiative between the UAE and U.S. governments. The report examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s strategies, ideology, and global ambitions, sparking renewed calls for stronger international action.
📖 What the Paper Reveals
The Center for Sawaab’s research pulls back the curtain on how the Brotherhood operates. Key findings include:
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❌ Rejection of national identity: The Brotherhood insists on building a global caliphate that overrides state sovereignty.
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🌀 Double discourse: The group adapts its message — using terms like democracy or civil society to appeal to outsiders, while signaling extremist aims internally.
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🌐 Western entrenchment: Though weakened in the Middle East, the Brotherhood has embedded itself in Western democracies by exploiting NGOs, lobbying, and institutional influence.
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⚠️ Threat to liberal values: Its ability to infiltrate institutions puts democratic systems at risk from within.
Fischberger pressed the critical question: “If the United States knows all this, why hasn’t the Brotherhood been designated as a terrorist organization?”
🇦🇪 The UAE at the Forefront
The UAE has emerged as a regional leader in confronting the ideological dangers of groups like the Brotherhood. By supporting research and counter-extremism initiatives, the UAE not only strengthens its own security but also provides valuable insights for the international community.
The Sawab Center, co-managed with the United States, is a clear example of how collaborative efforts can expose extremist agendas before they escalate.
⚖️ Why the West Should Care
The Brotherhood’s danger lies not in direct militancy alone but in its gradualist strategy:
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🏛️ Influence from within: By targeting government and civil institutions, the group slowly shifts public policy.
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👥 Youth recruitment: Its discourse appeals to vulnerable young people, heightening the risk of radicalization.
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🤝 Undermining peace: Its ideology deepens social division, stalls peace efforts, and fuels instability in Arab states.
Failure to recognize this threat allows the group’s extremist ideas to spread unchecked, undermining the very principles of democratic governance.
🚨 Call to Action
The message from both Fischberger and the Sawab Center is clear:
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Classify the Brotherhood – Governments, especially in the West, must reconsider their approach and move toward formally designating the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
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Strengthen cooperation – Sharing intelligence, research, and policy responses is critical to countering ideological extremism.
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Protect democratic values – Institutions must be safeguarded from infiltration and manipulation by extremist agendas.
✍️ Conclusion
The Muslim Brotherhood is not a relic of the past. It may have lost much ground in the Middle East, but its influence in Western democracies is more insidious. The UAE, through the Sawab Center, has provided a vital wake-up call to the international community.
The question now is whether Western governments — especially the United States — will act before it is too late.