Should members of the Muslim Brotherhood be registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act?

Jihad Watch posted a story today regarding a news report on an Arab web site describing a meeting of The Muslim Brotherhood that took place in Alexandria, Egypt . The story was reported on the Arab web site ALMASRYALYOUM. The Muslim Brotherhood is the parent organization in the United States of numerous Muslim groups identified by the US Justice Dept. as unindicted co-conspirators in the Holy Land Foundation terrorist funding trial in Dallas, Texas in 2008. Here is a brief description of The Brotherhood from Wikipedia including the footnote references:

The Society of the Muslim Brothers (often simply الإخوان Al-Ikhwān, The Brotherhood or MB) is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. The group is the world's oldest and largest Islamic political group,^[1] and the "world's most influential Islamist movement".^[2] The Brotherhood has as its slogan "Islam is the solution".^[3] It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna.
The Brotherhood's stated goal is to instill the Qur'an and Sunnah as the "sole reference point for ... ordering the life of the Muslim family, individual, community ... and state".^[4] Since its inception in 1928 the movement has officially opposed violent means to achieve its goals.^[5][6] The Council on Foreign Relations says: "At various times in its history, the group has used or supported violence and has been repeatedly banned in Egypt for attempting to overthrow Cairo's secular government.

The story in ALMASRYALYOUM primarily concerns The Muslim Brotherhood's plans for the government of Egypt but its title and substance have grave implications to America, as well, because it implies that all forms of secular, man made governments, should be replaced by Islamic Sharia Law. This raises a legitimate question about whether or not members of The Muslim Brotherhood in America should fall under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. During the 1960's the US government considered using this law to register members of the Communist Party because they worked on US soil in the interests of the Soviet Union. Here is the definition of this law from Wikipedia.

Foreign Agents Registration Act
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Foreign Agents Registration Act is a United States law (22 U.S.C. § 611 et seq.) passed in 1938 requiring that agents representing the interests of foreign powers be properly identified to the American public.^[1] The act was passed in response to German propaganda in the lead-up to World War II. The Foreign Agent Registration Unit within the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice is charged with handling the enforcement of the law.

Scope of the Act

The act requires people and organizations that are under foreign control ("agents of a foreign principal") to register with the Department of Justice when acting on behalf of foreign interests. This law defines the agent of a foreign principal as someone who:

1. Engages in political activities for or in the interests of a foreign principal;
2. Acts in a public relations capacity for a foreign principal;
3. Solicits or dispenses any thing of value within the United States for a foreign principal;
4. Represents the interests of a foreign principal before any agency or official of the U.S. government.^[1]

The Department of Justice has found that most violations of this law are unintentional and is attempting to work out problems without legal action.

Selective enforcement

Although the act was designed to broadly apply to any foreign agent (and was first used against German Nazi and Soviet propagandists), in practice FARA is frequently used to target countries out of favor with an administration.^[2]

In the 1960s, the American Zionist Council was found to be engaged in massive violations of FARA by being funded by and acting on behalf of Israel and was ordered by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to register as a foreign agent. The DOJ reversed those enforcement efforts under pressure from both the Israel lobby and the Johnson administration during its reelection bid.^[3][4] Controversy regarding lobbying on behalf of Israel continued after the American Zionist Council was reorganized as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), with former Senator William Fulbright and former senior CIA official Victor Marchetti calling for registering the lobby. The issue was renewed in 2004 by the AIPAC espionage scandal.^[5]

Even though both AIPAC and the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations lobby for the government of Israel, they still have not been forced to register at the DOJ.

Prominent cases

Samir Vincent, an Iraqi-American businessman who admitted helping Saddam Hussein's government in the oil-for-food scandal was fined $300,000 and sentenced to probation.^[6] He was charged, among other counts, with conspiracy to act as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.^[7]

Note the section on Selective Enforcement that says "FARA is frequently used to target countries out of favor with an administration." As far back as the 1960's, the Democrats, under Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, chose to prosecute a person representing Israel as an unregistered foreign agent. Under another Democratic administration Barack Hussein Obama has made open gestures of friendship to The Muslim Brotherhood and other Democrats have removed aid from our only real ally in the Middle East, Israel. It seems hardly unlikely that Democrat Attorney General Eric Holder would ever think about prosecuting Muslim organizations as unregistered foreign agents, but in light of current affairs, a new Republican president in 2012 may do so. 

Here is the complete story translated from ALMASRYALYOUM from Google Language Services. Some of the words that have different usage have inexact translations (i.e."boy").

Prepare For The Islamic Government .. وهدفنا الوصول إلى سيادة العالم Our Access To World Supremacy

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ar&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.almasry-alyoum.com%2Farticle2.aspx%3FArticleID%3D294500

 Ahmed on 23/04/2011
Eng Shater, deputy leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, «that the group's role moving the nation for all its efforts to create a full life on the basis of the Islamic method, Reference Muslim», pointing out that the strength-building «Community» lies in two factors: psychological and organizational structure, and a commitment to structure which is used «Shura» in all his affairs.

وأضاف، خلال مؤتمر نظمته الجماعة فى الإسكندرية، مساء أمس الأول، تحت عنوان «معالم النهضة ومكاسب الثورة وآفاق التطوير»: «نحن مستمرون فى بناء الفرد والبيت والمجتمع المسلم، ونستعد للحكومة الإسلامية كمرحلة تالية، لتطبيق نهضة مجتمعية على أساس مرجعية إسلامية، حتى الوصول إلى مرحلة سيادة العالم، وعودة الدولة الإسلامية». He added, during a conference organized by the group in Alexandria, yesterday evening, under the title «Landmark Renaissance and the gains of the revolution and the prospects for development»: «We are continuing to build individual and the House and the Muslim community, and prepare for the Government of the Islamic stage next, to apply the Renaissance community on the basis of Islamic reference, even access to rule the world stage, and the return of the Islamic State ».

He explained that there is no system of government Islamic referentiality in the countries of the Sunnis are now, and it can not use all past experiences and applied in Islamic countries, because they may not agree at the moment, and called for the nation's scientists strive to provide a model Islamic civilizational integrated, viable, rather than the use of the models are not suitable for our lives.

وانتقد الشاطر تصرفات بعض شباب الإخوان، الذين يطالبون بعزل «المرشد» أو مكتب الإرشاد، ووصفهم بأنهم نشأوا فى «ظرف سهل» ولم يشعروا بحجم الجهد والمعاناة والتضحيات، التى قدمتها تلك القيادات، لإنشاء هذا الكيان. He criticized the actions of some young boy, the Muslim Brotherhood, who are demanding removal «Guide» or the Guidance Office, describing them as they grew up in «within easy» did not feel the size of the effort and suffering and sacrifices made by those leaders, to create this entity.

وعن استقالة بعض القيادات، قال «الشاطر»: «هم إخوة أفاضل، يعز علينا تركهم لـ(الجماعة)، فإن خرج اثنان فإن (الإخوان) يدخلها كل يوم مائة»، وتابع: «هناك قضايا أساسية لا نريد التهاون فيها لأن (الجماعة)اتخذت قرارات لن تتراجع عنها، بشأن عدم خوضها انتخابات رئاسة الجمهورية»، وقال: «لو خالف (خيرت) قرارات (الجماعة) الشورية، فعليه أن يغادرها، لأنها ليست جماعة أشخاص، وإنما جماعة مؤسسات». And the resignation of some leaders, he said, «boy»: «They are brothers, I choose, is difficult, we leave for the (group), the left two, the (Muslim Brotherhood) enter every day a hundred», and continued: «There are fundamental issues we do not want neglected because the (group) decisions taken will not back down it, on the non-fought presidential elections », said:« if violated (Geert) resolutions (Community) Assyrian, he should leave, because they are not group people, but community institutions ».

وأكد أن ثوابت «الإخوان» غير مطروحة للتطوير، ولا يمكن التنازل عنها لصالح نشاط حزب الحرية والعدالة، الذى يعد أحد المسارات السياسية، أو الأدوات لتحقيق أهداف «الجماعة» خلال المرحلة المقبلة. He emphasized that the constants «Brotherhood» is open for development, and can not be waived for the activity party of freedom and justice, which is one of the political tracks, or the tools to achieve the objectives of «Community» during the next phase.
وقال إن التطوير يهدف إلى إعادة تأهيل «التنظيم» بما يتلاءم مع المرحلة المقبلة، والانتقال من مرحلة التضييق إلى «الانفتاح». He said that the development aims to rehabilitate the «organization» in line with the next phase, moving from the stage of harassment to the «open». وأشار إلى أن التطوير الذى كلف به، يتم وفق قواعد فنية وبرامج ورؤى واستراتيجيات واضحة، تنتهى بتطوير اللائحة الداخلية، ولفت إلى أن قسم الأخوات سيكون له نصيب كبير من التطوير، بشرط موافقة الضوابط الشرعية، وقبول الأغلبية الاقتراحات المقدمة. He pointed out that development, which commissioned it, is in accordance with technical regulations and programs, visions and strategies are clear, ending the development of internal regulations, pointing out that the Department of the sisters will have a large share of the development, subject to the approval of Shariah, and the acceptance of majority proposals.

وأوضح أن الحزب السياسى ليس ابن النموذج الإسلامى للحكم، ولكنه نتاج النهضة الغربية، وهدفه التنافس على السلطة، أما «الجماعة» فهى مشروع كبير لكل جوانب الحياة، فمنها يخرج الحزب والجمعيات والمدارس، لكن تبقى الأداة التى بنيت على أصول الدين هى «الجماعة». He explained that the political party not the son of an Islamic model of governance, but the product of Renaissance West, the objective of the competition for power, and the «group» is a large project all aspects of life, some of which come out the Party and the associations and schools, but remains the tool that is built on the principles of Islam is the «Community».

وأضاف الشاطر: «ندرس مشروعاً لفصل الحزب مالياً وإدارياً عن (الجماعة)، ووضع عدد من الضمانات لتحقيق المهمة الموكلة إليه والمرتبطة بالأهداف، والمهمة الإجمالية وخطوط سيرها المتعلقة بالتعريف والتكوين والتنفيذ، التى تمثل الإطار الأساسى لمنهج (الإخوان)». The boy: «studying a project to separate the party financially and administratively for the (group), and a number of safeguards to accomplish the mission entrusted to him and linked to the goals, mission gross and Routes of definition and configuration and implementation, which represents the basic framework for the curriculum (Brotherhood)».

وأشار نائب المرشد إلى أن الجماعة لم تحدد نسبة المشاركة فى الانتخابات البرلمانية المقبلة، وما يثار فى وسائل الإعلام مجرد اجتهادات من أعضاء «الجماعة» بعدما أعلن مكتب الإرشاد عن أن الإخوان لن يشاركوا بأغلبية فى الانتخابات، وتابع: «من الممكن أن نخوض الانتخابات بنسبة ١٨٪ أو ٣٥٪ أو ٤٤٪ أو أى نسبة يحددها مجلس شورى الجماعة». The Deputy Leader that the group did not specify the rate of participation in the forthcoming parliamentary elections, and raised in the media just interpretations of the members of the «Community» after office announced guidance for the Brotherhood would not participate majority in the elections, and continued: «could go into the election by 18 % or 35% or 44% or any percentage specified by the Shura Council Community ».

وأرجع سبب تضارب تصريحات «الإخوان» فى الفترة الأخيرة، إلى مرحلة التضييق التى كان يعانيها التنظيم. He attributed the cause of conflicting statements «Brotherhood» in the recent period, to the stage of tightening, which was experienced by the organization. ولفت إلى أن هناك درجة من التفاوت والاختلاف فى تصريحات قيادات الإخوان، وليس للمتحدثين فقط، نتيجة ضعف التواصل بينهم والرؤية والمعلومات، التى يجب أن تكون متوافرة بين بعضهم، وأن المسألة سوف تأخذ بعض الوقت لمعالجة مثل هذه الأمور. He pointed out that there is a degree of disparity and differences in the statements of the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, not only to the speakers, including as a result of poor communication, vision and information, which must be available between each other, and that the issue will take some time to address such matters.

واعترف الشاطر بـ«قلة خبرة» بعض القيادات الإخوانية فى التعامل مع وسائل الإعلام، ولفت إلى أن «بعض وسائل الإعلام تضخم بعض الأمور الفردية، كبديل للضربات الأمنية» - وفق تعبيره. The boy, who admitted to «inexperience» some Muslim Brotherhood leaders in dealing with the media, and pointed out that «some media inflation, some individual things, as an alternative to strikes security» - according to the source.

وقال: «لا يستطيع فرد أو جماعة أن تنسب لنفسها فضل التأسيس الثانى للجماعة واختزاله فى العمل الطلابى داخل الجامعة، الذى كان بلا رؤية أو مشروع محدد، وأن الفضل يرجع للقيادات التى خرجت من السجون سنة ١٩٧٤». He said: «No individual or group can be attributed to the same virtue of incorporation of the second group and reducing it to work within the university student, who had no vision or a specific project, and thanks to the leadership which emerged from prison in 1974».

وأكد نائب المرشد أن النظام السابق كان يستخدم أقصى إجراءات القمع الأمنى مع الإخوان، من خلال نظام الرهائن، لإحداث حالة من الهلع والخوف، حتى لا يبقى أحد آمناً على نفسه داخل التنظيم، أو المتعاملين معهم سواء على الأفراد أو الشركات أو العمل الخاص، الأمر الذى أدى إلى تغييب «الإخوان» وتحجيم أنشطتهم بالعمل العام. The deputy leader of the former regime was used most repressive measures security with the Muslim Brotherhood, through a system of hostages, to bring about a state of panic and fear, until there is no one safe on himself inside the organization, or dealing with them, either to individuals or companies or your work, which led to the absence of «Brotherhood» and minimize their work year. وأوضح أن «الجماعة» تعرضت لمحاولات تشويه قوية، خلال الفترة الماضية، والاعتقال لفترات طويلة, ولفت إلى أنه خلال عام ٢٠٠٠ فقط تمت مصادرة ٩ آلاف شركة لـ«الإخوان» فضلاً عن ٣٥ ألف معتقل خلال سنوات حكم مبارك. He explained that «Community» been attempts to discredit a strong, during the last period, and prolonged detention, pointing out that during 2000 only 9 thousand have been confiscated for the company «Brothers» as well as 35 thousand detainees during the years of Mubarak's rule.

Just a small comment of the last line from that Arab news story. Note that they mention that ousted Egyptian president Mubarak, who despite his tyrannical rule was also an ally of the United States, had arrested some 35,000 members of The Brotherhood. 

It is not hard to realize that our country has already been invaded and our Commie/Muslim sympathizing leftist news media won't even write about it and our Commie/Muslim sympathizing Democrat Party government won't investigate it.