Jordan’s ban on the Muslim Brotherhood: Extremist ideas can die too

The Jordanian government had long shown patience and tolerance toward the Muslim Brotherhood, giving it ample time. Since October 7, 2023, there has been a continuous campaign of incitement, questioning its legitimacy, attacking its symbols, and stirring unrest to push society toward turning against the state. So, it’s no surprise that extremist groups have intensely targeted Jordan for years – both Sunni and Shia Islamist groups – trying to turn it into another chaotic arena for weapons smuggling, clandestine cells, and logistical support.

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Jordan is closing an important chapter in its history. But the question remains: Will the idea of the Muslim Brotherhood die after the ban?

The Muslim Brotherhood is not just a political organization – it’s also an ideological and doctrinal one.

Defenders of extremist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood argue that such ideas don’t die and instead are passed down from generation to generation. And they’re not entirely wrong. The Muslim Brotherhood is a concept that began nearly 100 years ago when Hassan al-Banna founded it in 1928, and it has persisted until today. Why? For several reasons.

First, some governments have used the Muslim Brotherhood to gain legitimacy, out of fear of confronting them or provoking their wrath.

Others used the group to mobilize against rivals or opposing ideologies, or to draw it into the political arena in an attempt to neutralize its power. These reasons all helped prolong its existence – but also led to major failures. Allowing the Muslim Brotherhood and its ideology, members, and activities to flourish unchecked for a long time essentially poisons a society from within, planting landmines of extremism. It’s a dangerous game. Being lenient with extremist groups, compromising with them, or trying to contain them is like keeping a venomous snake company. History tells us the Muslim Brotherhood has often turned on its sponsors at critical, pivotal moments, weaponizing its followers and aligning with adversaries to eliminate them.

Second, failed development breathed life into the Muslim Brotherhood.

The group capitalized on economic decline or development failures in many Arab countries. Its legitimacy is fed by the absence of successful economic projects. Whenever poverty, corruption, poor governance, and injustice rise, the Brotherhood presents itself as the viable alternative.

Third, the cultural and intellectual failure.

The Brotherhood was given full freedom to dominate schools and universities, turning the education system into a tool for indoctrination. It also took over religious institutions entirely and was given the green light to influence society through events, lectures, and forums. Its media platforms operated without restriction. Its rhetoric dominated minds for decades, spreading a culture of hate at an unprecedented scale. And then we wonder why its ideas endure. Things reached a dangerous point, with Muslim Brotherhood leaders openly threatening to bring down the state, banking on the popularity they amassed over decades, rallying many in society and exploiting every tool they could – from relations with the West and the US to the Palestinian cause – to undermine their opponents’ legitimacy.

All of these reasons – and more – allowed the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology to endure for decades.

Not because it was inherently robust or legitimate, but simply because it was given the space to survive and grow. The Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology, like other extreme ideologies such as Nazism and fascism, can die – if it’s defeated on security, cultural, and economic fronts. Only defeating it militarily while letting it thrive intellectually and culturally will guarantee its return. With corruption and poverty, the Brotherhood will find an opening to revive its narrative.

If we take the German experience as an example, we see that the victors didn’t just crush the Nazis militarily – they banned them and offered a successful economic and cultural alternative that relegated Nazism to the dustbin of history. This is exactly what must happen with the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology, which has lasted far longer than it should have.

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