What role did the Muslim Brotherhood play in the formation of Hamas

The Muslim Brotherhood played a significant role in the formation of Hamas. Here are the key points about the Muslim Brotherhood’s involvement in Hamas’s origins:

1. Ideological Foundation: Hamas emerged as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine. The Muslim Brotherhood had been active in Gaza since the 1950s, establishing a network of mosques, charities, and social organizations.

2. Founder’s Background: Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the primary founder of Hamas, was a Palestinian Islamic scholar who had been an activist in local branches of the Muslim Brotherhood. He dedicated his early life to Islamic scholarship in Cairo before returning to Gaza.

3. Establishment: In December 1987, following the outbreak of the First Intifada, Yassin established Hamas as the Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm in Gaza.

4. Transition from Social to Political: Prior to Hamas’s formation, the Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza focused primarily on social and religious activities. Hamas marked a shift towards more nationalist and activist approaches, combining Palestinian nationalism with Islamist ideology.

5. Initial Structure: In its early days, Hamas functioned as a social-religious charity center, building on the Muslim Brotherhood’s existing network of social services.

6. Ideological Influence: Hamas’s ideology and charter, published in 1988, reflected many of the Muslim Brotherhood’s core principles, including the emphasis on Islamic governance and resistance against Israel.

7. Organizational Model: Hamas adopted organizational structures similar to the Muslim Brotherhood, such as the “family system” (ʾUsar al-Dacwa) for educating and training activists.

8. Gradual Evolution: The formation of Hamas represented a strategic shift for the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood, which had previously refrained from direct involvement in armed resistance against Israel.

9. Differentiation: While Hamas emerged from the Muslim Brotherhood, it developed its own distinct identity and approach, particularly in its focus on armed resistance and its specific Palestinian nationalist goals.

In summary, the Muslim Brotherhood provided the ideological foundation, organizational structure, and social network from which Hamas emerged. Hamas represented a more politically active and militant evolution of the Muslim Brotherhood’s presence in Palestine, specifically adapted to the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.