Fast times for the Muslim Brotherhood? You betcha. Consider the following:
* Hamas, the Brotherhood’s Palestinian offshoot, was the clear winner of the Mecca Accords. And the deal is being peddled to the world by no less than Mahmoud Abbas and secular PA envoys.
* In Europe, Islamic banking with the Brotherhood is on the rise.
* The Brotherhood recently established a “media office” in the UK.
* Egypt is cracking down on the Brother like never before.
* In Damascus, a Syrian-German got off with a relatively 12-year prison sentence for membership in the Brotherhood. Membership is capital offense.
* Jordan’s Brotherhood, the Islamic Action Front, bucked Sunni trends and supported Hezbollah during last year’s Lebanon War, and are closely watching the unfolding crisis in Beirut. According to Robert Satloff, the Front was further emboldened by the Mecca Accords.
The Brotherhood is also active in the US as well. The Muslim American Society has been accused of being a front for the Brotherhood. And for further background, see the Chicago Tribune.
