The Muslim Brotherhood in Australia
1. Introduction
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| Muslim Brotherhood logo |
There is no evidence of a large-scale, active "Muslim Brotherhood" political movement in Australia, and the group itself is not a registered or prominent political entity there. The Australian Muslim community is diverse, with various organizations like the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) representing it at a national level. While there is a presence of different Islamic groups, including those with more hardline ideologies, the historical, political "Muslim Brotherhood" from Egypt is not a major force in Australia (Google AI 2025)
The answer equivocates and is actually wrong, saying there is "no evidence of a large-scale, active" group, and it is not a "major force in Australia", all of which can also be read as: "Yes, it does exist, but it is not openly active or has any media presence." Evidence which suggests that the Google AI response is less than accurate downplays the existence of the group in Australia since 2011. This is revealed in the following article from 17 August 2013, published in the Sydney Morning Herald:
Muslim Brotherhood active in Australia
Sydney's Egyptian community has revealed that the Muslim Brotherhood movement behind now ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi has opened an office in the western suburbs. The office is believed to be the first in the southern hemisphere and the Australian Securities & Investments Commission records show it has been open for business in Padstow since it was registered in the association name, Moslem Brothers Incorporated, nearly two years ago. Supporters of the Brotherhood are expected to join a rally in the city on Sunday to protest against the military crackdown in Egypt. An impromptu protest earlier this week in response to the news of the unfolding violence attracted almost 300 people onto the streets of Lakemba. A spokesman for the Islamic Egyptian Society of NSW, Hossam Ibrahim, said there have been protests held every weekend for the past five weeks attracting up to 250 people. "After what has happened in the past few days, we are expecting the numbers to be much larger," said Mr Ibrahim. Mr Ibrahim said they are also expecting to be joined by members of other communities. Mr Ibrahim said although they had been expecting something to happen in Egypt, violence was ‘‘not the right way’’ to deal with the situation and it was not helpful for the future of the country. Details of the Australian group emerged after claims that the Brotherhood had ''sleeper cells'' in Australia that remained hidden and only became activated when asked to do something. But the group said it is not hidden and has "nothing to hide or to be ashamed of". Moslem Brothers chairman Shawky Elghar said: "We are operating openly in Egypt under the Egyptian law and in Australia under Australian law. We protest for human rights and against the violence and the right of the Egyptian people to elect their government, their constitution and their president." Lakemba Imam, Sheik Taj el-Din al Hilaly, who is in Egypt as part of a government reconciliation committee, announced he had quit his position saying the military and police had "...dragged Egypt into a very dark, dangerous and bloodied tunnel". A spokesman for the Australian Coptic Movement (ACM), told Fairfax Media they "were unable to find words to explain our great sorrow at the the events" in Egypt. But he said there was also deep distress at the attacks on the minority group of Coptic Christians in Egypt and their churches. He said the ACM was calling on the Australian Government to condemn the incitement and violence against Coptic Christians in Egypt.
Following the military takeover, the Muslim Brotherhood was banned from Egypt and members jailed. The previous government had been pro-Muslim Brotherhood and had supported actions against Catholics. A comprehensive update on this article, with a wider perspective, both historic and geographic, was present in a November 2025 interview by Australian Erin Molan with former Egyptian conservative Muslim activist Dalia Ziada, She had fled recently to the United States following death threats from the Muslim Brotherhood, as revealed in the following video:
The Muslim Brotherhood MARRIED the Left - Zohran Mamdani is born, Erin Molan, YouTube, 6 November 2025, duration: 43.50 minutes.
Zyada lucidly outlines therein the history of the formation in 1928 of this extreme, radical Muslim group in Egypt. From the outset it had a political agenda, and this was brought to the West since the 1970s following the groups partial exile from Egypt. At present it is most active in Great Britain, the United States, and to a lesser degree in Europe and Australia. Zyada's harrowing story of its political aims, of the threats to her own life, and of its secrecy is a sobering lesson for all those who support the integration of Muslims into Western societies, be they genuine refugees or those simply seeking a better life, especially in those democratic countries where peace, love and compassion is at the core of social, legal and religious practice. The numerous discriminatory practices by Muslim groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood have been exposed on television screens and in print media in the West over the last half century, such as the forced marriage of girls as young as nine, female genital mutilation, adherrance to Jihad which calls for the killing of Infidels (i.e. non-Muslims), the banning of education for women, and public execution for Muslims who do not follow the dictates of the Brotherhood. There is an obvious conflict here with both Western (i.e. Christian) values, and even those of Asian (i.e. Buddhist, Hindu, etc.) value, where the aforementioned peace, love and compassion lies at the core. Both Buddha and Jesus Christ taught and preached this, whereas Mohammed's message was often one of violence, revenge and discrimination. As such there is an obvious conflict between Islam and the West, and for those Muslim's seeking to live in Western countries there needs to be a compromise and acceptance that violence and discriminatory practices cannot be supported and must be stopped. Just as the West does not necessarily support such actions arising out of Christian and other religious doctrine, so too this applied to Islam. For example, Sharia Law is at odds with much of Western legal practice and precedent. It is also in conflict with democratic systems of government.
A subsequent query was posed to Google AI as follows: Muslim Brothers Australia. The response was telling, especially in light of the previous response:
The term "Muslim Brothers Australia" can refer to several different entities, including the political organization, the Muslim Brotherhood Movement (MBM) gang, and community organizations with similar names. The Muslim Brotherhood is a political and religious movement, and in 2013, some Australian groups associated with it were active in protests. The Muslim Brotherhood Movement (MBM) was a youth street gang that police stated was "dismantled and disrupted" in 2011, but its remnants were absorbed by another gang, notes Wikipedia. Organizations like Brothers in Need are unrelated; they are a non-profit movement focused on community support and charity, according to Brothers in Need. On the other hand, in regard to criminal and youth gangs, the Muslim Brotherhood Movement (MBM) was a youth street gang that emerged in the late 2000s in Sydney's west. Police stated the group was "dismantled and disrupted" in 2011 (Bashan 2011). Brothers for Life (BFL) was another gang that police have associated with extremist views.
The targeting of youth and their radicalization is a common technique used internationally by the Muslim Brotherhood.
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References
Bashan, Yoni, Notorious Muslim gang [Muslim Brotherhood Movement] off the streets, Daily Telegraph, Sydney, 14 August 2011.
Kennedy, Les, The rise and rise of new gangs, Sydney Morning Herald, 28 March 2009.
Molan, Erin and Dalia Ziada, The Muslim Brotherhood MARRIED the Left - Zohran Mamdani is born, Erin Molan, YouTube, 6 November 2025, duration: 43.50 minutes.
O'Brien, Natalie, Muslim Brotherhood active in Australia, Sydney Morning Herald, 17 August 2013.
Wikipedia, Dalia Ziada, Wikipedia, accessed 7 November 2025.
-----, Muslim Brotherhood, Wikipedia, accessed 7 November 2025.
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Last updated: 7 November 2025
Michael Organ, Australia
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