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Jordan's Ban on the Muslim Brotherhood: Extremist Ideas Can Die Too
(Al Arabiya) Mamdouh Al-Muhaini - Extremist Sunni and Shia Islamist groups have intensely targeted Jordan for years, trying to turn it into another chaotic arena for weapons smuggling, clandestine cells, and logistical support. Jordan has now banned the Muslim Brotherhood. Allowing the Brotherhood and its ideology, members, and activities to flourish unchecked for a long time essentially poisons a society from within. Being lenient with extremist groups, compromising with them, or trying to contain them is like keeping a venomous snake company. History tells us the Muslim Brotherhood has often turned on its sponsors at critical, pivotal moments, weaponizing its followers and aligning with adversaries to eliminate them. The Muslim Brotherhood's ideology, like other extreme ideologies such as Nazism and fascism, can die - if it's defeated on security, cultural, and economic fronts. Only defeating it militarily while letting it thrive intellectually and culturally will guarantee its return. People must be offered a successful economic and cultural alternative to the Muslim Brotherhood's ideology, which has lasted far longer than it should have.