Jordan (MNN) — One wrong step led to a government crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan last month.
“The Muslim Brotherhood, for a long, long time, [has] been a recognized [political] party in Jordan,” says Samuel* with Redemptive Stories.
Emblem of the Muslim Brotherhood
(Wikimedia Commons)
After Jordan’s 2024 elections, nearly one fourth of the nation’s parliamentary seats went to the Islamic Action Front, political party linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. Samuel believes this shift toward Islamic leadership comes from Jordanians’ frustration over the war in Gaza.
But things changed in April when security forces sniffed out a Muslim Brotherhood cell that had been building short-range rockets for unstated purposes. The group denied ties to the alleged plot, but the government still banned it and stripped all its assets. It is basically eliminated as a legitimate organization in Jordan, says Samuel.
“It’s been a long time coming that the king and others have wanted to get rid of the Muslim Brotherhood here in Jordan, and then this recent planning of the terrorist activity on its own soil has given them the impetus to be able to do that. They view them as an extremist organization, which they are.”
Even though the Muslim Brotherhood is no longer a legitimate political entity, Samuel doesn’t expect there will be significant changes in what gospel ministry looks like in Jordan. “There’s one less player on the table to fight against the work of the gospel in the region, but many of those people that still had leanings that direction are still here,” he says.
With that in mind, please pray for God’s mercy on those aligned with radical Islam. (Learn how to pray specifically for the Muslim Brotherhood here.)
“[Pray] that people will be put in their path to be able to share with them what the true picture of the Kingdom of God looks like, and ultimately that this would create more space for boldness, bold sharing, and bold testimony for the gospel in our region,” Samuel says.
*Name changed for security
Header photo of boy walking on street in Jordan. (Photo courtesy of Craig Boudreaux/Unsplash)
