CEMO asks new U.S. administration to ban Muslim Brotherhood

CAIRO – The Center for Middle East Studies in Paris (CEMO) called Wednesday on the new American administration to ban the Muslim Brotherhood and put it in a list of terrorist organizations.

Center Director Abdel Rahim Ali also called on the administration that will be on the U.S. saddle for the next four years to closely monitor the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood with the aim of eradicating terrorism and extremism.

"The terrorist operations taking place in Europe can seep out of it and into the United States," CEMO said in a statement.

It attributed these terrorist operations to the failure of European governments in taking decisive action by banning the Muslim Brotherhood.

"European governments even allow Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated societies and charities to operate freely and receive funds publicly," it said.

The center noted that Muslim Brotherhood societies and charities are especially active in areas where there are concentrations of Arab and African Muslims, especially those suffering tough economic and social conditions.

CEMO warned several times against leaving the activities of the Brotherhood unchecked, the center said.

It added that countries, such as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, also warned against the same thing several times in the past.

Ali said the new U.S. administration has to work – together with other countries – to rid the world of extremism and terrorism, regardless of the results of the presidential elections in the U.S. and who is going to reside the White House in the next four years.

"They have to rid the world of the killing of innocent people and stop the spread of hate by extremists," Ali said.

CEMO said, meanwhile, that European governments, especially the French government, failed to heed repeated warnings against the dangers inherent in allowing the Muslim Brotherhood societies, which operate under the umbrella of the Association of Islamic Societies, to work freely.

It said the association changed its name in December 2018 to the Association of French Muslims.

The center called for controlling the financing flowing to the association and forcing it to operate within the law.

It also called for disbanding its societies that receive financing from other countries in an illegal manner.

Association members who work in recruitment, the center said, have to be kicked out of France.

"Countries that finance the association, such as Turkey and Qatar, need to be brought under pressure to suspend this financing," CEMO said.