Showing posts with label muslim brotherhood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label muslim brotherhood. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Amy Antonini, The Muslim Brotherhood

The Muslim Brotherhood: A Global Islamist Movement Trapped by the Nation-State

By Amy Antonini

Throughout the 20th and 21st century the rising power of Islamism has been affecting the global sphere. Now more than ever, some members of the Muslim community are aiming to create a world caliphate and have more and more political authority. Within the Islamist movement, one of the most powerful groups is the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). The MB has branches all over the world and considers the movement as fighting for Islamism. However, although it is considered a global movement, the question of if the group really transcends borders is present. This essay will first look at the beginnings of the MB, with its foundation in Egypt and the evolution of the Egyptian MB. It will then look at the global Islamist movement as a whole. From there it will turn to the MB as a transnational movement and what defines and shapes the movements in certain nation-states. This essay will look at two case studies of the MB in Palestine and Syria. Finally it will consider two definitions of transnational organizations to prove that the MB does not transcend transnational borders. The MB should be considered a part of the global Islamist movement, however as an organization, its functions and branches do not work transnationally.