PELONI: As I noted yesterday, the charade of banning the Muslim Brotherhood continues… When will terrorism come to be considered too toxic for Western complicity?
Ahmad Sharawi
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The political wing of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood (MB) elected a new leader over the weekend. The Ummah Party elected Muath al-Khawaldeh as secretary general at its seventh general conference, defeating Ahmad al-Qatawneh in a closely contested race.
Khawaldeh served as the official spokesperson for the MB until Amman outlawed the group in 2022 and later banned it in April 2025. The ban followed the group’s involvement in a plot to procure drones and missiles and recruit operatives for terror activities inside and outside Jordan. The United States later designated the group as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) for providing material support to Hamas.
The Ummah Party has been on a rebranding kick since the ban of its parent organization. After changing its name in May from the Islamic Action Front, it sought to install new leadership to signal distance from the MB. But the changes have been largely cosmetic. Despite the changes, party officials have said that “opening up to a new name does not mean abandoning its identity.” The election of an MB official to lead the party demonstrates the MB’s continuing influence.
MB Figures Take Top Spots in ‘New’ Party’s Leadership
Al-Khawaldeh has held an official role in the organization since at least 2015, when he became its spokesperson. In 2024, he joined the Brotherhood’s executive council, where he oversaw several political portfolios, including the Palestine portfolio.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s foothold in Ummah is not limited to al-Khawaldeh. The party’s Shura Council, its main decision-making body, also includes MB officials and members. On the same day as al-Khawaldeh’s election, the party elected 21 members to fill vacant seats on the council, including several prominent MB figures: Hamzah Mansour, a former head of the MB’s Shura Council; Jamil Abu Baker, a former deputy leader of the MB and member of its executive council; Mustafa Saqer, a member of the MB’s executive council; and Aref Hamdan, a member of the MB’s Shura Council and a former member of its executive council.
The Party’s Rebranding Is Less Than Skin-Deep
Despite Amman banning the Muslim Brotherhood, it allowed its political wing to continue operating and remain represented in parliament. Jordan has historically sought to manage Islamist participation rather than eliminating it. The government used a 2022 law restricting religiously affiliated party names in an effort to push the Islamic Action Front to rebrand.
The party has not moved away from its Islamist leanings. Its new constitution continues to emphasize the promotion of Islamic values and culture, as well as mobilization against “colonial projects,” including Zionism, while framing the Palestinian cause as a shared Arab and Islamic responsibility.
Following his election, al-Khawaldeh’s remarks adopted a more inclusive, nationalist tone. “We extend our hands to the national community to serve our country, our nation, and the causes of the nation,” he said. He described the Palestinian cause as “a national cause par excellence,” and stressed the party’s continued support for the Palestinians’ “resistance.”
U.S. Should Investigate Whether the Party’s Ties to the Jordanian MB Warrant Sanctions
When Washington designated the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood in January, the designation did not extend to the movement’s leadership or to entities subordinate or affiliated with it, including its political wing and charities. The election of Muslim Brotherhood officials to senior positions in the Ummah Party shows personnel continuity between the two organizations.
Washington should review the relationship between the Ummah Party and the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood, focusing on whether the two organizations share decision-making structures, including individuals serving in dual capacities. The United States should also investigate whether Brotherhood officials direct or influence party decisions, and whether the party provides funds or other material support to the designated organization.
Ahmad Sharawi?is a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Ahmad and FDD, please subscribe?HERE. Follow FDD on X?@FDD. Follow Ahmad on X?@AhmadA_Sharawi. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
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