As the United States reorients to the extraordinary new reality in Egypt, American policymakers are focusing on Egypt’s largest and best organized opposition movement: the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood presents a real challenge to American interests. It is a deeply conservative Islamist organization with a violent beginning and an avowed goal of imposing Sharia law.
Some members of Congress are calling for the United States to reject any involvement in the future of Egypy by the Brotherhood. That is not an option—the Brotherhood has legitimate and significant support in Egypt. While the U.S. should not embrace the Muslim Brotherhood, we should focus on protecting our interests. This memo provides a background on the Brotherhood and discusses how the United States can deal with the challenge.
