Ted Cruz reintroduces Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act

Senator Ted Cruz reintroduced the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act this week, his office announced yesterday. The act urges the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.

"Today [Wednesday] I was proud to reintroduce my Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act and to advance America’s fight against radical Islamic terrorism," Cruz announced on social media. "I commend the current administration’s work calling terrorism by its name and combatting the spread of this potent threat, and I look forward to receiving the additional information this new bill requests from the Department of State."

"Many of our closest allies in the Arab world have long ago concluded that the Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist group that seeks to sow chaos across the Middle East, and I will continue working with my colleagues to take action against groups that finance terrorism," Cruz continued.

The bill was co-sponsoured by Jim Inhofe (Oklahoma), who has stated that “...since the founding of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Brotherhood-affiliated groups have consistently preached and incited hatred against Christians, Jews, and other Muslims while supporting designated radical terrorists. I am proud that under the Trump administration, we continue to call out and combat radical terrorism, and I am glad to join my colleagues today in reintroducing this legislation,” Inhofe said. “We must continue to condemn foreign terrorist organizations and hold them accountable for the evil they perpetrate.”

President Trump has been working to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist group as of spring last year; a move that was supported by former White House national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, but has found opposition in government officials at the Pentagon and elsewhere, who have remained opposed and have been conversely seeking more limited action.