Islamist Gap: ISIS v. the Brothers

Adam Simpson

            The two best known Islamist groups in the Middle East today are the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. Despite their common Islamist labels, however, the two movements have vastly different origins, political platforms and social agendas. The Islamic State is militant in ideology, agenda and tactics, while the Muslim Brotherhood has run in democratic elections. One is the newest Islamist movement, the other is the oldest. And on the illustrative issue of gender, the Islamic State has sequestered and abused women; the Brotherhood puts women in subservient roles, professionally and socially, but also has a politically active Sisterhood and has run female candidates for parliament.

Origins and Evolution

      Founded in 1928, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood began as a social organization among workers on the Suez Canal and gradually grew into a broader movement that sought to reconcile Islam with modernity, nationalism, and the colonial experience of Egypt and the Arab world at the time. It relied on grassroots activism and charity work to build support for its political ambitions. During the 1950s and 1960s it went through a militant phase. Brotherhood members plotted assassinations on government officials including an attempt on Egyptian President Gamal Abdul-Nasser in 1954, which intensified the government’s crackdown on the Brotherhood. Despite renouncing violence in 1969, the group was banned for decades but began to field candidates for parliament under the aegis of other parties or as independents in the 1980s and 1990s. During the regime of President Hosni Mubarak, it held more than eighty seats. By 2011, it had also expanded across the Arab world and beyond, with more than 80 branches. For a year, it even held the Egyptian presidency until a military coup in 2013.

      The Brotherhood cultivated a ‘big tent’ approach to Islamism that tolerated a range of views, including ultra-conservative Salafists and young reformists. Some of its members ended up breaking with the movement for not taking stronger positions, whether militant or moderate. Among the militant was Ayman al Zawahiri, who joined Osama bin Laden in the 1980s and succeeded him as the head of al Qaeda.

            Founded in 2004 as al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), the Islamic State was initially a local offshoot of the global jihadist organization. Its development has been defined by violence and conflict outside the political system. AQI was the core of the insurgency against the U.S. occupation as well as the key driver during civil unrest between 2004 and 2008. The group rebranded itself in 2006 as the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI) after winning the allegiance of rival jihadist factions. It was largely pushed out of Iraq’s western Anbar province in fall 2007 by the combination of local tribal leaders armed and aided by a surge in American forces. But it made a comeback because of the disgruntled Sunni population in an increasingly Shiite-dominated government.

            The group retreated and then expanded in neighboring Syria in 2013, changing its name to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).  As it conquered territory in northern and eastern Syria, it began a state-building phase with its de facto capital in Raqqa. It thrived financially off illicitcriminal and social networks, and, as it gained ground,  even drawing taxes to create  institutions or provide services.

Stratfor Map: Iraqi And Syrian Battlespace Against The Islamic State http://t.co/AxOBuA8HXUpic.twitter.com/91MEhWU5KF

— Stratfor (@Stratfor) August 21, 2014

Political Agendas

            In July 2014, the Islamic State debuted Dabiq, its monthly English-language magazine. The premiere issue claimed that AQI leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi envisioned a five-step plan to achieve, through explicitly violent means, an Islamic Caliphate. It represented a stark contrast to the Brotherhood’s turn to the ballot box in Egypt’s first democratic elections for both parliament and the presidency in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

      The Islamic State’s declaration of a Caliphate disavowed sharing power with other sects or ethnic groups or even tolerating dissent. It chastised Sunni Muslims and called on them to immigrate to the new state and swear allegiance to the new Caliph, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. The text also condemned the Muslim Brotherhood, calling on its “ummah” (community) to abandon and destroy the movement’s “secularists, democrats, and nationalists.”

       Dabiq’s second issue featured the Islamic State’s account of Noah, entitled “It’s Either the Islamic State or The Flood,” an explicit threat to other Muslims to join the Caliphate or perish. It condemned “proponents of choice,” a reference to reformists and democrats. The Islamic State has stuck to this extreme position even in the face of renewed conflict in Iraq and despite the obvious strategic risks of alienating allies. As it has swept across Iraq since June, it has also engaged in ruthless attacks on Christian and Yazidi minorities.

            In contrast, the Muslim Brotherhood has worked within national constraints for decades. It has not shown interest in a contemporary Islamist Caliphate, although ideas about transnational Islamism are still debated by both current and former members. In contrast to the Islamic State’s rigid conformity, the Brotherhood’s wide range of views and voices has at times led to the perception of incoherence and even hypocrisy. At least rhetorically, it has also claimed a willingness to work with other political parties, whether Christian, secular, or leftist, although tensions deepened during the year that the Brotherhood held elected office.

            The primary difference between these groups centers on their beliefs about political power and how to achieve it. At doctrine, the Brotherhood can sound like extremists of the Islamic State, notably on women’s rights and others social issues. It counters criticism by claiming that to be subject to popular consensus as well as democratic and constitutional processes.

            The divergent views of the Islamic State and the Muslim Brotherhood reflect the wide spectrum of positions on the ever-evolving Islamist spectrum. The following are excerpts from selected sources and figures to further illustrate these differences:

ON WOMEN

The Islamic State

The Muslim Brotherhood

"We have established the brigade to raise awareness of our religion among women, and to punish women who do not abide by the law. There are only women in this brigade, and we have given them their own facilities to prevent the mixture of men and women… [ISIS needs female brigades to] raise awareness among women, and arrest and punish women who do not follow the religion correctly. Jihad is not a man-only duty. Women must do their part as well." –Abu Ahmad “An ISIS official in Raqqa”

 “(14) To the honorable women: God is in decency and loose jackets and robes. Stability is in the house, inherently the khidr (women’s quarters), and go out [from the house] only when necessary for the guidance of the mothers of the believers… blessings upon them.” –Watheeqa al-Medina

“A woman needs to be confined within a framework that is controlled by the man of the house… [If a woman is beaten by her husband,] show her how she had a role in what happened to her. If he is to blame she shares 30 percent or 40 percent of the fault.” –Osama Yehia Abu Salama, a Brotherhood ‘family expert’

“The [UN] declaration [to ‘End Violence against Women’], if ratified would lead to complete disintegration of society, and would certainly be the final step in the intellectual and cultural invasion of Muslim countries, eliminating the moral specificity that helps preserve cohesion of Islamic societies… –Muslim Brotherhood Statement Denouncing UN Women Declaration for Violating Sharia Principles

“Women in the Muslim Brotherhood represent approximately half of the group’s members... They perform the same social and political activities in the community as their counterparts. Until recently, the women were not given chief political roles in the group for protection against the measures used by the Mubarak regime against MB leaders… Now that political times have changed, the MB is working on increasing women’s involvement on all levels to play a role in shaping Egypt's future.” –Women in the Muslim Brotherhood

ON POLITICAL OPPONENTS

The Islamic State

The Muslim Brotherhood

“As for you, O soldiers of the [rival and competing jihadist] platoons and organizations, know that after this consolidation and the establishment of the khilāfah [caliphate], the legality of your groups and organizations has become invalid. It is not permissible for a single one of you who believes in Allah to sleep without having walā’ (loyalty) to the khalīfah… And know that nothing has delayed victory and delays it now more than these organizations, because they are the cause of division and disagreements that ruin strength. Division is not from Islam at all.” –This is the Promise of Allah

“And let that “ummah” they want to unite be ruined – an “ummah” of secularists, democrats, and nationalists… an “ummah” of murji’ah (a sect that excludes deeds from faith), ikhwān (the “Muslim Brotherhood” party), and surūriyyah (a sect influenced by the ikhwān claiming to be Salafī).”  –This is the Promise of Allah

“[After the declaration of the Caliphate,] the hopes of [establishing a Caliphate] became an undeniable reality, one that allowed no room for anyone claiming any excuse to resist the authority of the imam except to be dealt with by the decisive law of Allah.” –Dabiq 1.

“People are the source of power; the people have the inherent right to choose the ruler of the country and their parliamentary representatives, as well as the program that reflects their aspirations and demands… Shura [consultation] is the way to achieve the interests of the country so as not to allow an individual or a group to be the sole power dealing with the public affairs that affected the interests of the people, and democracy is the appropriate mechanism to achieve this Shura.” –The Founding Statement of the Freedom and Justice Party

“The [Freedom and Justice Party] will cooperate with all parties and political movements, not just the Islamists, as long as this is in the country’s best interest.” –Walid Shalabi, a Muslim Brotherhood spokesman

“Hussein Ibrahim, Secretary General of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), reaffirmed that the FJP will cooperate with anyone who works for stability, security and dignity for Egypt and its people, regardless of affiliation or religion.” –Statement made on Ikhwanweb

ON MINORITIES

The Islamic State

The Muslim Brotherhood

“Jizyah (a tax imposed on [non-Muslims]) has been enforced. Fay’ (money taken from the [non-Muslims] without battle) and zakat (obligatory alms [from Muslims]) have been collected.” –This is the Promise of Allah

“We offer [non-Muslims] three choices: [conversion to] Islam; the dhimma contract [a pact of allegiance from non-Muslims to Muslim governors]– involving payment of jizya; if they refuse this they will have nothing but the sword." –Mosul Announcement

“[The Islamic State] is a state where the Arab and non-Arab, the white man and black man, the easterner and westerner are all brothers. It is a [Caliphate] that gathered the Caucasian, Indian, Chinese, Shami, Iraqi, Yemeni, Egyptian, Maghribi (North African), American, French, German, and Australian. Allah brought their hearts together, and thus, they became brothers by His grace…” –Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

“Our adherence to the jurisprudential opinion refusing the appointment of women or Christians as president does not mean we impose this opinion on the people, who have inherent jurisdiction in this regard… I personally accept for Copts [Christians] to be appointed in hundreds of positions, including sensitive leadership positions in the country in accordance with the criterion of efficiency and competence, regardless of their proportion in society… The civil state sought by Islam and the MB would ensure equal rights for Copts." –Saad al-Husseini, a member of the Brotherhood’s governing body, the Guidance Bureau

“The MB has confirmed that it does not object to the election of women or Copts in cabinet, however it does not believe it would be appropriate to nominate a woman or a Copt as head of the party.” –MB announces establishment of political party: Freedom and Justice

“Freedom, justice and equality are granted by Allah to man, thus, they are inherent rights for every citizen without discrimination on the bases of creed, sex or color, and taking into account that the freedom of the individual would not be prejudicial to the rights of others or the rights of the nation.” –The Founding Statement of the Freedom and Justice Party

Islamic Sharia has acknowledged the right of non-Muslims to resort to their own religion in the matters of belief, religion and the personal status and the issues concerning the family, as such provisions are different from the provisions of the Islamic law. Yet, for the other matters of the worldly earthly life of all kinds, as well as the public order and issues of morality, they could be governed by the Islamic rule that decides that "they are obliged to the same duties as their fellow Muslims and they enjoy the same rights as their fellow Muslims as well". –The Founding Statement of the Freedom and Justice Party

ON RELIGION AND POLITICS

The Islamic State

The Muslim Brotherhood

“Having faith in Allah, keeping far from the gateways to shirk (polytheism) and its various shades, along with submitting to Allah’s command in everything big and small, and giving Him the level of obedience that makes your lusts, inclinations, and desires to be in compliance with what the Prophet (peace be upon him) came with – only after this condition is met will the promise be fulfilled. For by fulfilling this condition comes the ability to build, reform, remove oppression, spread justice, and bring about safety and tranquility. Only by meeting this condition, will there be the succession, which Allah informed the angels about. Without this condition being met, authority becomes nothing more than kingship, dominance and rule, accompanied with destruction, corruption, oppression, subjugation, fear, and the decadence of the human being and his descent to the level of animals.” –This is the Promise of Allah

“[The followers of the Islamic State] have a statement to make that will cause the world to hear and understand the meaning of terrorism, and boots that will trample the idol of nationalism, destroy the idol of democracy, and uncover its deviant nature.” –Caliph Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi

“We also stress the need that the Egyptian people should be the ones who draft the Egyptian Constitution, in a way that reflects the identity and will of the nation, so as to provide - through this Constitution - freedom and dignity for the nation, affirming the sovereignty of the people and national unity… We also confirm our deep belief in the need to state in the Constitution that Islam is the official religion of the state… –The Founding Statement of the Freedom and Justice Party

“Our party asserts that Egypt is a civil state with an Islamic reference. Our party believes in the liberalization of the Egyptian national will, the political independence of the decision-making process and dealing with external international powers on the basis of mutual respect; and we state that such trends cannot be relinquished.” –The Founding Statement of the Freedom and Justice Party

ON RELIGION AND LAW

The Islamic State

The Muslim Brotherhood

“The hudūd [Islamic law punishments like hand amputations for theft and stoning for adultery] are implemented – the hudūd of Allah – all of them.” –This is the Promise of Allah

“In regards to alcohol, I challenge you to find a single drunk person. I challenge you to find anyone selling alcohol. They’re afraid of even having it in their house, as we get reports on that. We are still fighting infidels with our machine guns, but we have to face these vices as well.” Abu Obeida, Raqqa patrolman

“[The Islamic State] is a state and not a group. We aim to build an Islamic State to cover every aspect of life… No one dares steal from Muslims because the State is enforcing Sharia. The punishment is very tough, and that’s cutting off people’s hands. –Abu Mosa, Islamic State Press Officer in Raqqa

“The main purpose of the court is arbitration based on Sharia [Islamic law], as God ordered. The Sharia court has returned rights to the people after the oppression they suffered under the [Assad] regime’s courts. Thanks to God, the court works on all cases to enforce Sharia against alcohol, adultery, etc. There are all kinds of Sharia laws and judgments in this court, praise be to God… [Judges] are all experienced in Sharia and are able to apply it… We aim to satisfy God, that’s why we don’t care about international standards.” –Haidara, clerk for an Islamic State judge in Raqqa

The principles of Islamic Sharia are the main source of legislation, and thus, the application of Sharia in all walks of life; as it is the source of wisdom and divine mercy, and as a response to the demands of the majority of the Egyptian people who believe that the Sharia is the best method to ensure the reformation of the conditions of our society that will lead it to happiness and progress, as well as guaranteeing the rights of our fellow Christians and their freedom of belief and worship according to their laws and rules, in addition to safeguarding their litigation through Christian laws and rules in their private affairs.” –The Founding Statement of the Freedom and Justice Party

“[The Muslim Brotherhood] will not support the application of Sharia until the call for its application emerges from society itself.” –Gomaa Amin, Muslim Brotherhood leader

“Nobody has the right to delay the application of God’s punishments… but [Sharia punishments in particular] do not apply because the conditions for their application have not yet come about.” –Subhi Saleh, Freedom and Justice Party Member of Parliament

Photo credits: Former President Mohamed Morsi's Facebook page, Al Hayat Media