Iranian Muslim Brotherhood chained by Mullahs’ regional interests

Mohamed Shaath

The Iranian regime, which stands against a U.S. move to classify the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization has reiterated the relationship between the international organization and the mullahs in Iran, especially since the decision came shortly after the Revolutionary Guard Corps was declared a terrorist organization.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has criticized the US intention to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.

Zarif told reporters on a sideline of a conference that, “The US is not in position to start naming others as terror organizations and we reject by any attempt by the US in this regard.”

Relations between Iran and the international Muslim Brotherhood organization have extended for dozens of years, in addition to the mutual support between the two sides, the situation of the Muslim Brotherhood in Iran raised many questions about the Iranian strategy of using the brotherhood to organize and achieve its political interests in the region and support its arms.

The Brotherhood’s presence in Iran began in 1979 with the establishment of the Iranian Call and Reform Organization, which represents the Muslim Brotherhood in Tehran. Its branches spread to 12 Iranian provinces, especially the Sunni majority. At the beginning of the establishment, the mullahs gave the green light to operate officially in appreciation for aiding Khomeini in the revolution and convincing Sunni citizens of doing so too.

The Muslim Brotherhood also was keen on preserving the “national capital”, protect the cultural and educational institutions, and adhering to the Iranian constitution.

Despite the promises made by Khomeini at the beginning of the revolution to the founders of the group to end what he called the era of injustice and dictatorship, the clash began early after Ahmad Moftizadeh , one of the founders of the movement, called to remove some of the articles of the new constitution to end discrimination against the Sunnis, but Khomeini did not pay attention to these demands and ordered the arrest of Zadeh and 200 of his supporters on charges of threatening the national security of the fledgling Islamic Republic.

Moftizadeh was sentenced to five years in prison. After that, the Iranian authorities demanded that he must sign a written pledge not to engage in any political or religious activities. However, he refused to sign, which bought him extra five years, to be released after 10 years, already weakened by illness, to die in 1993.

Nasir Subhani, known as the spiritual guide of the Muslim Brotherhood of Iran, met the same fate as Moftizadeh. He was executed by Iranian authorities in 1990 having been detained earlier.

The Iranian regime saw it in its regional interest to reuse the brotherhood again since Abdul Rahman Pirani got elected in 2001 as secretary-general for the Iranian Call and Reform Organization, not to mention that he was already a member at the so-called International Union of Muslim Scholars, which made him the link between Tehran and the Muslim Brotherhood across the region.