Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Sohaib Abdel-Maksioud, speaking from Istanbul, condemned the US decision to designate Muslim Brotherhood branches in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon as terrorist organizations, calling the move politically motivated and “Islamophobic.”
In a January 13, 2026 interview with Al Jazeera Network, Abdel-Maksioud claimed that the Muslim Brotherhood operates strictly within the constitutional and legal frameworks of the countries in which it is present. He rejected accusations of terrorism and argued that the designation reflects what he described as a broader “dictatorial agenda” in the Middle East, aligned with what he called Islamophobic trends in the US and Europe.
Addressing Hamas, Abdel-Maksioud asserted that Hamas is an independent Palestinian movement and has “repeatedly announced” that it is not connected to the Muslim Brotherhood in the manner described by the US designation.
He further claimed that in the US, Europe, and many other countries there are no official Muslim Brotherhood institutions and that the organization is not active there, adding that this absence has not prevented what he described as Islamophobic attacks against Muslims in Western societies.
