From time to time, there is some discussion as to whether Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood are the same organisation.
It is a silly debate, really. According to Hamas itself:
The Islamic Resistance Movement is one of the wings of Moslem Brotherhood in Palestine. Moslem Brotherhood Movement is a universal organization which constitutes the largest Islamic movement in modern times. It is characterised by its deep understanding, accurate comprehension and its complete embrace of all Islamic concepts of all aspects of life, culture, creed, politics, economics, education, society, justice and judgement, the spreading of Islam, education, art, information, science of the occult and conversion to Islam.
To make the point clearer, Hamas activists are also identified as Muslim Brotherhood office holders, on the Muslim Brotherhood’s own website. For example, look at the fugitive Hamas Commander, Mohammed Sawalha. He is also described as the “manager of the political committee of the International Muslim Brotherhood in Britain”.
Nevertheless, the Muslim Brotherhood itself claims that there are ‘no organisational links” between it and Hamas.
However, according to the Global Muslim Brotherhood Daily Report, the Egyptian newspaper, Almasry Alyoum, has reported that the Prime Minister of the Hamas government in Hamas pledged a Bay’ah – that is, an Oath – to the new leader of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Muhammad Badie:
In a phone call yesterday, Ismail Haniyeh, the Prime Minister of the Hamas government in Gaza, gave the oath [bayah] to Muhammad Badi’, the new General Guide of the MB, about a week after accepting his role. In a communique issued yesterday, Haniyeh’s governement maintained that the PM “called upon Allah to give a hand of assistance, support and soundness to Badi’, so the MB’s course in helping the Palestinian national cause and the besieged Gaza continues”, expressing his hope that “the MB will play a role in keeping relations between the Palestinian and Egyptian peoples”. The government further pointed out that Haniyeh also called Mahdi Akef, the previous General Guide, and expressed his “deepest thanks for his steadfast stance assisting the Palestinian cause, and the standing up to the right of the inhabitants of the Besieged Gaza Strip”
Assuming that this is true, it is important. A Bay’ah is an oath with deep religious/political significance. It is, in effect, an acknowledgement that the General Guide of the Muslims Brotherhood is Haniyeh’s boss.
That looks like an “organisational link” to me.
