Is banning the Muslim Brotherhood Islamophobic?
No. The Muslim Brotherhood is not Islam, and it does not represent all Muslims. It is a specific political extremist movement. Any decision to proscribe it would have to rest on the legal test in the Terrorism Act 2000, not on hostility to a religion. Opposing an organisation is not the same as targeting a faith community.
If it has not carried out attacks in Britain, why does proscription still matter?
Because UK law does not require the Government to wait for an organisation to carry out attacks in Britain before acting. Under the Terrorism Act 2000, an organisation may be proscribed if the Home Secretary believes it commits or participates in terrorism, prepares for terrorism, promotes or encourages terrorism, or is otherwise concerned in terrorism.
Is the Muslim Brotherhood currently banned in the UK?
No. The Muslim Brotherhood is not currently proscribed in the UK.
Is the Muslim Brotherhood the same thing as Islam?
No. Islam is a religion followed by millions of people in Britain and around the world. The Muslim Brotherhood is a distinct political movement with its own ideology, strategy, and organisational history.
What would proscription actually do?
Proscription is not symbolic. It makes it a criminal offence to belong to a proscribed organisation, invite support for it, recklessly express support for it, arrange meetings in support of it, or publicly display articles suggesting support for it. It also supports wider disruption through immigration powers, seizure of terrorist property, and removal of online material.
Who's behind this?
This campaign is led by the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based, cross-partisan think tank focused on national security, democratic resilience and the defence of liberal values. “Ban the Brotherhood UK” builds on over a decade of HJS research into Islamist movements and hostile networks. It is an evidence-based, policy-led campaign supported by researchers and international partners, focused on ensuring UK policy keeps pace with a changing threat landscape.
