The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) was founded in Egypt in 1928 by the Islamic scholar Hassan al-Banna. Designed as a force of opposition against colonial interference in Egypt, its numbers grew rapidly, and by the end of World War ii, the Muslim Brotherhood had an estimated 2 million members. The Brotherhood is the world’s oldest and most established contemporary Islamist movement.

With the Brotherhood now controlling Egypt’s parliament, and eyeing the presidency, it is clear that the group runs Cairo. But throughout the MB’s history, it has also quietly disseminated its influence far beyond Egypt’s borders. And in the aftermath of the Arab revolts, broad vistas have opened up giving the Islamist group opportunity to rapidly realize its goal of regional power.

“This region is in a period of deep-rooted change,” said Mahmoud Ghozlan, a member of the Brotherhood’s executive bureau. “Starting from Tunisia and ending with Syria, the nature of the region and alliances will change.”

Transcending Ethnicity

“There is no doubt that Hassan al-Banna believed in Islamic unity and not just Arab unity,” said Mahmoud Ghozlan. The MB’s goal is to unite the Arabs of Egypt, Libya and other nations with the Berbers of Tunisia, the black populations in North Africa, and so on—all under a common Islamist banner.

Ghozlan called this cross-culture unity a “long-term objective,” but viewed the growing trend of Islamists steering mainstream politics across North Africa as evidence that it could happen in the near term.

Shadi Hamid, research director at the Doha Brookings Center, agrees with Ghozlan’s assessment: “We can start to talk of an emerging Sunni Islamist bloc from North Africa all the way potentially to Syria. I think the Brotherhood is the most important part of that,” he said.

Sunni vs. Shiite?

Many analysts view the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood as an indication that a shift is under way in the Middle East that will erode Shiite Islam’s influence. Hamid explained this view, saying, “[The Muslim Brotherhood] are part of a broader movement, and it is that movement that is going to reshape the regional architecture. The stronger the Sunni Islamists are, the worse it is for the Iran-Hezbollah axis.”

But the Trumpet has long maintained that it will be Iran (which is predominantly Shiite) that will be head of the end-time radical Islamist force known biblically as the “king of the south.” Why adhere to this prediction? Because its outcome is sure.

Daniel 11:40-41 describe a Middle Eastern power, called the “king of the south,” which is led by Iran but includes Egypt, Libya and others. Not even 10 percent of the world’s Muslims today are Shiite—and more than 90 percent are Sunni. But Iran is on the brink of nuclear power, and has the extremist ideologies that would prompt it to use that devastating power.

Despite the rising power of the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt and other nations will set aside Sunni-Shia disputes and ally with Iran. The Muslim Brotherhood’s mushrooming success, alongside election victories by Tunisian and Moroccan Islamists, and the rise of influential Islamists in Libya and Syria, is forcing the world to alter its methods of approaching political Islam. And as the endgame plays out, this trend will only augment the power of Iran and radical Islam. To understand more, read our booklet The King of the South.