Why It Matters

The Senate Judiciary Committee may examine the Muslim Brotherhood’s alleged operations and financial networks in the United States at an upcoming subcommittee hearing. The hearing would come as the Trump administration intensifies scrutiny of individuals and organizations it says are connected to the Muslim Brotherhood or Hamas.

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s official website has not confirmed the Aug. 5 hearing. Its page for “Hidden in Plain Sight: Confronting the Muslim Brotherhood Network in America,” previously scheduled for May, continues to list the proceeding as postponed.

The potential hearing follows a July 23 Treasury Department action targeting a senior Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood official, three other individuals and three entities accused of supporting Hamas. It also comes amid legislative efforts to increase scrutiny of the Council on American-Islamic Relations,(CAIR) which disputes allegations that it operates as a front for the Muslim Brotherhood or Hamas.

H.R. 4097, the Designate CAIR as a Terrorist Organization Act, was introduced in the House during the 119th Congress. Despite its short title, the bill would direct the secretary of State to review whether CAIR meets the legal criteria for designation as a foreign terrorist organization rather than immediately designating the organization.

The Political Push

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) called on President Donald Trump in July to ban the Muslim Brotherhood and prohibit the application of Sharia law in the United States.

Those proposals are part of a broader political campaign by some Republican lawmakers to increase federal scrutiny of Muslim organizations and institutions. Civil rights and interfaith groups have criticized the effort, arguing that it risks conflating Muslim religious and civic activity with support for terrorism.

The Treasury Department said its July sanctions exposed fundraising networks in which Muslim Brotherhood-linked organizations and Hamas-directed front groups allegedly used charities and underground financial systems to move money across jurisdictions.

The Hearing

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s official website has not posted that hearing under its upcoming proceedings. The committee instead continues to list its previously scheduled hearing, “Hidden in Plain Sight: Confronting the Muslim Brotherhood Network in America,” as postponed. Until the committee publishes a new notice, the Aug. 5 date should be treated as unconfirmed.

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