80-446: [REDACTED] Member State of the Arab League [REDACTED] Asia portal [REDACTED] History portal The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria ( Arabic : الإخوان المسلمون في سوريا , romanized : al-Ikhwān al-Muslimūn fī Sūrīya ) is a Syrian branch of the Sunni Islamist Muslim Brotherhood organization. Its objective is the transformation of Syria into an Islamic state governed by Sharia law through
160-583: A reformist platform, calling for the establishment of a pluralistic, democratic political system. For many years the leader of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood was Ali Sadreddine Al-Bayanouni , who lives as a political refugee in London. Towards the end of the 1930s, the ideas of Hassan al-Banna reached Syria as young Syrians, who had graduated from university in Cairo and participated in
240-784: A "just solution" for the Palestinian refugees . The Peace Initiative was again endorsed at 2007 in the Riyadh Summit. In July 2007, the Arab League sent a mission, consisting of the Jordanian and Egyptian foreign ministers, to Israel to promote the initiative. Following Venezuela 's move to expel Israeli diplomats amid the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict , Kuwaiti member of parliament Waleed Al-Tabtabaie proposed moving Arab League headquarters to Caracas , Venezuela . On 13 June 2010, Amr Mohammed Moussa, Secretary-General of
320-593: A gradual legal and political process. The party strongly opposes Pan-Arabism , capitalism , communism , liberalism , and secularism in Syria. Founded at the end of World War II , the Muslim Brotherhood of Syria was seen as one of several important political parties in the 1950s. When Syria unified with Egypt to form the United Arab Republic , the disbanding of the Muslim Brotherhood as
400-403: A new political climate, the Muslim Brotherhood published a statement in London rejecting political violence, and calling for a modern, democratic state. Many political prisoners , including Muslim Brothers, were pardoned and released. However, this reform was short-lived; in the same year, the few political freedoms that had been granted were abruptly revoked. Although its leadership is in exile,
480-618: A peacekeeping force to deploy in South Lebanon, Darfur, Iraq, and other hot spots. At a 2015 summit in Egypt, member states agreed in principle to form a joint military force. The Arab League is rich in resources, such as enormous oil and natural gas resources in certain member states. Economic achievements initiated by the League amongst member states have been less impressive than those achieved by smaller Arab organisations such as
560-609: A political party was a condition of union, one complicated by Gamal Abdel Nasser 's conflict in Egypt with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood . The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood was banned by the government of the Syrian Arab Republic starting after the 1963 coup by the secularist , pan-Arabist Ba'ath Party . The Muslim Brotherhood played a major role in dissent against the secular Ba'ath Party during
640-606: A proposed constitution that did not require the president to be a Muslim . Syria's intervention in the Lebanese civil war in 1976 on the side of the Maronites sparked renewed agitation in Syria, and assassinations began to target members of the Syrian government and prominent Alawites; the Muslim Brotherhood later claimed responsibility for most of these. On 16 June 1979, the Muslim Brotherhood carried out an attack on cadets at
720-671: A relationship with all parties. Hamas is Muslim Brotherhood, but we have to deal with the reality of their presence", comparing Hamas to the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood which was crushed by his father Hafez al Assad . He then allegedly claimed Hamas would disappear if peace was brought to the Middle East. Unlike the MB-led insurgency of 1976–1982, the civil uprising phase of the Syrian Civil War which started in March 2011 began as
800-461: A secular and nonviolent youth-led movement. Protesters, mostly formerly apolitical Syrians in their twenties and thirties, came together on a local, grassroots basis and had affiliations to older political ideologies, calling instead for the release of prisoners of conscience, guarantees of democratic freedoms, and the fall of the Assad government. In August, 2011, expatriated Syrian oppositionists formed
880-605: Is Egypt , with a population of over 100 million. The least populated is the Comoros , with approximately 850,000 inhabitants. The majority of the Arab League's citizens adhere to Islam , with Christianity being the second largest religion. At least 15 million Christians combined live in Egypt , Iraq , Jordan , Lebanon , Palestine , Sudan and Syria . In addition, there are smaller but significant numbers of Druze , Yazidis , Shabaks and Mandaeans . Numbers for nonreligious Arabs are generally not available, but research by
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#1732771885970960-660: Is divided into five parts when it comes to transport, with the Arabian Peninsula and the Near East being entirely connected by air, sea, roads and railways. Another part of the League is the Nile Valley , made up of Egypt and Sudan . These two member states have started to improve the River Nile's navigation system to improve accessibility and thus foster trading. A new railway system is also set to connect
1040-633: Is not imposed by force.... In the days leading to 8 March 1980 (the seventeenth anniversary of the Ba'thist coup), nearly all Syrian cities were paralysed by strikes and protests, which developed into pitched battles with security forces. Many organisations, both religious and secular, were involved, including the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood. The government responded with overwhelming military force, sending in tens of thousands of troops, supported by tanks and helicopters. In and around Aleppo, hundreds of demonstrators were killed, and eight thousand were arrested. By April,
1120-579: The 1958 Lebanon crisis . The League has served as a platform for the drafting and conclusion of many landmark documents promoting economic integration. One example is the Joint Arab Economic Action Charter , which outlines the principles for economic activities in the region. Each member state has one vote in the Council of the Arab League , and decisions are binding only for those states that have voted for them. The aims of
1200-584: The Arabs of Palestine the framers of the Pact were determined to include them within the League from its inauguration. This was done by means of an annex that declared: Even though Palestine was not able to control her own destiny, it was on the basis of the recognition of her independence that the Covenant of the League of Nations determined a system of government for her. Her existence and her independence among
1280-460: The Ba'athist government that controlled Syria. In Egypt, splinter groups inspired by Sayyid Qutb were growing more violent and militant than the mainline Brotherhood. In Syria, the entire organization was effected, as the internally divided leadership failed to contain the radicalization to the splinter groups. Even though the leadership publicly disavowed the radical elements, they were unable to contain
1360-758: The Beirut Summit on 28 March 2002, the league adopted the Arab Peace Initiative , a Saudi-inspired peace plan for the Arab–Israeli conflict . The initiative offered full normalisation of the relations with Israel . In exchange, Israel was required to withdraw from all occupied territories , including the Golan Heights , to recognise Palestinian independence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip , with East Jerusalem as its capital, as well as
1440-688: The Free Syrian Army or the Syrian Islamic Liberation Front . The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood is believed to control, through funding, one-fourth to one-third of the disparate armed rebel brigades known collectively as the Free Syrian Army (FSA). Despite that, The Daily Telegraph reported in August 2012 that the Muslim Brotherhood had established its own militia not affiliated to the FSA inside Syria, called "Armed Men of
1520-654: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Among them is the Arab Gas Pipeline , that will transport Egyptian and Iraqi gas to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey. As of 2013, a significant difference in economic conditions exist between the developed oil states of Algeria , Qatar , Kuwait and the UAE , and developing countries like the Comoros , Djibouti , Mauritania , Somalia , Sudan and Yemen . The Arab League also includes great fertile lands in
1600-510: The League of Arab States ( Arabic : جامعة الدول العربية , Jāmiʿat ad-Duwal al-ʿArabiyya ), is a regional organization in the Arab world . The Arab League was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945, initially with seven members: Egypt , Iraq , Transjordan , Lebanon , Saudi Arabia , Syria , and North Yemen . Currently, the League has 22 members . The League's main goal is to "draw closer
1680-596: The Muslim Brotherhood there, returned home and founded associations called "Muhammad's Youth" ( Shabab Muhammad ), which were to become the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria. The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria was founded in the 1930s (according to lexicorient.com) or in 1945, a year before independence from France, (according to journalist Robin Wright and the Brotherhood itself). The Brotherhood states its founder
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#17327718859701760-575: The Pew Forum suggests around 1% of people in the MENA region are "unaffiliated". The official language of the Arab League is Literary Arabic , based on Classical Arabic . However, several Arab League member states have other co-official or national languages, such as Somali , Afar , Comorian , French , English , Berber and Kurdish . In most countries, there is a dominant non- codified spoken Arabic dialect . The Pan-Arab Games are considered
1840-532: The Russian military intervention in Syria . They reiterated the Russian Orthodox Church 's call of the operation as a Holy War. Supreme guides or General leaders (G.L.) of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria have been: Arab League The Arab League ( Arabic : الجامعة العربية , al-Jāmiʿa al-ʻArabiyya , Arabic: [al.d͡ʒaː.mi.ʕa al.ʕa.ra.bij.ja] ), formally
1920-853: The Sahara . Nevertheless, it also contains several highly fertile lands like the Nile Valley , the Jubba Valley and Shebelle Valley in the Horn of Africa , the Atlas Mountains in the Maghreb , and the Fertile Crescent that stretches over Mesopotamia and the Levant . The area comprises deep forests in southern Arabia and parts of the world's longest river, the Nile . The Charter of
2000-611: The Shia Houthis and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh , who was deposed in the 2011 uprising . On 15 April 2018, in response to the Turkish invasion of northern Syria aimed at ousting U.S.-backed Syrian Kurds from the enclave of Afrin , the Arab League passed a resolution calling on Turkish forces to withdraw from Afrin. In September 2019, the Arab League condemned Benjamin Netanyahu 's plans to annex
2080-546: The Syrian National Coalition Syria's seat in the Arab League. On 9 March 2014, secretary general Nabil Elaraby stated that Syria's seat would remain vacant until the opposition completes the formation of its institutions. In 2021, the Arab League initiated a process of normalisation between Syria and other Arab nations. On 7 May 2023, at the meeting of the Council of the Arab League in Cairo, it
2160-655: The Syrian National Council to seek international support for the uprising. The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood officially held five seats in the Syrian National Council , the main opposition umbrella outside Syria, but created a network of alliances with other SNC members, and created a controlling influence on the council's relief committee. Since the formation of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces in November, 2012,
2240-654: The sovereignty of the individual member states. The internal regulations of the Council of the League and the committees were agreed in October 1951. Those of the Secretariat-General were agreed in May 1953. Since then, governance of the Arab League has been based on the duality of supra-national institutions and the sovereignty of the member states. Preservation of individual statehood derived its strengths from
2320-621: The Aleppo Artillery School, officially killing 83. Around this time, professor Yusef al-Yusef was assassinated in Aleppo. The Syrian government responded by sentencing to death about 15 prisoners, already accused of being Iraqi agents, for belonging to the Islamic resistance movement. Terrorist attacks then became a daily occurrence, particularly in Aleppo and other northern cities. The government tended to ascribe these attacks to
2400-535: The Arab League , also known as the Pact of the League of Arab States, is the founding treaty of the Arab League. Adopted in 1945, it stipulates that "the League of Arab States shall be composed of the independent Arab States that have signed this Pact." In 1945, there were seven members, but the Arab League now has 22 members, including 8 African countries: and 7 observer states (note: the observer states below have been invited to participate during select Arab League sessions but do not hold voting privileges): Egypt
2480-590: The Arab League initiated the creation of an organisation representing the Palestinian people. The first Palestinian National Council convened in East Jerusalem on 29 May 1964. The Palestinian Liberation Organization was founded during this meeting on 2 June 1964. Palestine was shortly admitted in to the Arab League, represented by the PLO. Today, State of Palestine is a full member of the Arab League. At
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2560-631: The Arab League is one of the Institutions of the Arab League . It was established under the terms of the Joint Defence and Economic Co-operation Treaty of 1950 to coordinate the joint defence of the Arab League member states . The Arab League as an organisation has no military Force, similar to the UN, but at the 2007 summit, the Leaders decided to reactivate their joint defence and establish
2640-692: The Arab League reflects Arab leaders' individual concerns for regime survival: "the politics of Arab nationalism and a shared identity led Arab states to embrace the rhetoric of Arab unity in order to legitimize their regimes, and to fear Arab unity in practice because it would impose greater restrictions on their sovereignty." The Arab League was "specifically designed to fail at producing the kind of greater collaboration and integration that might have weakened political leaders at home." The Arab League member states cover over 13,000,000 km (5,000,000 sq mi) and straddles two continents: Africa and Asia . The area largely consists of arid deserts, such as
2720-448: The Arab League refused to condemn the UAE 's decision to normalize ties with Israel . Nevertheless, "The goal all our Arab countries seek, without exception, is to end the occupation and establish an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital," Aboul Gheit said. In January 2024, the Arab League expressed support for South Africa's ICJ genocide case against Israel. The Joint Defence Council of
2800-562: The Arab League, visited the Gaza Strip , the first visit by an official of the Arab League since Hamas' armed takeover in 2007. The Arab League is a member of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF), which was formed in 2004. CASCF is the Arab League's earliest participation in a cooperation forum with another country or region. CASCF is the primarily multi-lateral coordination mechanism between
2880-579: The Arab states and China and within CASCF the Arab League represents its member states as a relatively unified force. The Arab League's coordination allows Arab states to negotiate actively for collective projects involving multiple states, such as railway projects, nuclear power projects, and Dead Sea initiatives. In 2015, the Arab League voiced support for Saudi Arabian-led military intervention in Yemen against
2960-637: The Arabian Peninsula by the Bab el Mandeb and this is quickly changing as Tarik bin Laden, the brother of Osama bin Laden , has initiated the construction of the ambitious Bridge of the Horns project, which ultimately aims to connect the Horn of Africa with the Arabian Peninsula via a massive bridge. The project is intended to facilitate and accelerate the already centuries-old trade and commerce between
3040-546: The Brotherhood carried out three car-bomb attacks against government and military targets in Damascus, killing hundreds of people, according to the official press. On 2 February 1982, the Brotherhood led a major insurrection in Hama , rapidly taking control of the city; the military responded by bombing Hama (whose population was about 250,000) throughout the rest of the month, killing between 10,000 and 30,000 people. The tragedy of
3120-413: The Brotherhood continues to enjoy considerable sympathy among Syrians. Riyad al-Turk , a secular opposition leader, considers it "the most credible" Syrian opposition group. The Brotherhood has continued to advocate a democratic political system; it has abandoned its calls for violent resistance and for the application of shari'a law, as well as for Sunni uprisings against Alawites. Al-Turk and others in
3200-485: The Brotherhood was the most prominent, represented the strongest opposition to the government. The outlawing of Brotherhood in 1964 resulted in its radicalisation. In 1964 and 1965, strikes and mass demonstrations spread throughout Syria's major cities, especially in Hama , and were crushed by the military. In 1971, General Hafez al-Assad , an Alawite, seized power; in 1973 violent demonstrations broke out again in response to
3280-511: The Brotherhood's influence "in the past", and Hassan believes will remain so in the future. The Syrian Brotherhood harshly condemned Iranian political intervention in Bahrain. This condemnation was formulated "politely," without any obvious insulting references to Shi'a. However, the effort failed. The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement declaring Jihad against Russia obligatory ( Fard 'ayn) upon all who are able to carry weapons after
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3360-502: The Brotherhood). This conflict developed into an armed struggle in the late 1970s that climaxed in the Hama uprising of 1982, when thousands were killed by the military. Membership in the Syrian Brotherhood became a capital offence in Syria in the 1980 (under Emergency Law 49) and the Brotherhood was crushed, though it retained a network of support in the country, of unknown strength, and had external headquarters in London and Cyprus . In recent years it has renounced violence and adopted
3440-463: The Brotherhood, but as the armed resistance gained widespread popular support and more loosely defined armed groups appeared, especially in poor neighborhoods, it became difficult to determine the extent of the Brotherhood's involvement. In November 1979, a Brotherhood leaflet stated: We reject all forms of despotism, out of respect for the very principles of Islam, and we don't demand the fall of Pharaoh so that another one can take his place. Religion
3520-413: The Economic and Social Council of its Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU), the League facilitates political, economic, cultural, scientific, and social programmes designed to promote the interests of the Arab world. It has served as a forum for the member states to coordinate policy, arrange studies of and committees as to matters of common concern, settle inter-state disputes and limit conflicts such as
3600-418: The Hama Massacre marked the defeat of the Brotherhood, and the militant Islamic movement in general, as a political force in Syria. Having suppressed all opposition, Hafez al-Assad released some imprisoned members of the Brotherhood in the mid-1990s. After his death in 2000, Assad was succeeded by his son, Bashar al-Assad , who initially signalled greater openness to political debate. In May 2001, encouraged by
3680-438: The Muslim Brotherhood", with presence in Damascus and other places like Homs or Idlib. Durou al-Thawra Commission ( Shields of the Revolution Council ) created in 2012 with assistance from the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood allegedly consisting of some 43 fighting units most of them in Idlib or Hama. At the same time Brotherhood leaders have been reaching out to reassure leaders in neighboring Jordan , Iraq and Lebanon – as well as
3760-425: The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood has come to be seen by some as the "dominant group" or "dominant force" in the opposition during the Syrian civil war as of spring 2012. Once the second most important branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Syrian Ikhwan had two wings – the relatively moderate Damascus wing and the militant Aleppo wing. Becoming more revolutionary and radical in the 1960s and 1970s, they aimed to overthrow
3840-587: The Syrian National Council has taken a backseat to the Coalition, which is recognized as the external political body of oppositionists "leading" the revolution. In 2012, Brotherhood activists created the Commission for Civilian Protection (CCP). The CCP is considered to be a front for the Brotherhood, tasked with helping armed units inside Syria connect with each other and with sponsors abroad. Its website lists numerous affiliated factions, distributed across Homs, Damascus, Idlib, and elsewhere; however, most of these groups are small and generally self-identify as members of
3920-422: The Syrian National Council, a body formed outside Syria, the Brotherhood appears to be more popular among exiles than in the uprising population inside Syria. "Activists from various parts of Syria have told me that, prior to the uprising last year, the country had almost zero Brotherhood presence." "At least 70%" of Syria's population – non- Sunnis (Muslim and Christian), Kurds, and tribal groups "have been outside"
4000-435: The West – that they "have no intention of dominating a future Syrian political system" and have "played down" their "growing influence" in the Syrian opposition. The Syrian MB has assured outsiders that it is "going to great lengths to ensure" that its donated weapons "don't fall into the hands of extremists". According to Hassan Hassan writing in The Guardian newspaper in mid-2012, while the Brotherhood did come to dominate
4080-429: The army executed 80 residents of a block of flats in response to an attack on soldiers stationed in Aleppo. In April 1981, the army executed about 400 of Hama's inhabitants, chosen among male loyalists over the age of 14. This was as a retribution after a failed terrorist attack on an Alawite village near Hama . During a 50-day moratorium on the application of the 7 July law, over a thousand Muslim Brothers surrendered to
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#17327718859704160-414: The authorities, hoping to escape the death penalty; information published about them in the official press may give some insight into the composition of the Brotherhood's membership at that time. Most of those who gave themselves up were students under twenty-five years of age, from Damascus and other large cities; others were schoolteachers, professors or engineers. In August, September and November 1981,
4240-654: The biggest Arab sporting event, which brings together athletes from all the Arab countries to participate in a variety of different sports. The Union of Arab Football Associations organises the Arab Cup (for national teams) and the Arab Club Champions Cup (for clubs). Arab sport federations also exist for several games, include basketball , volleyball , handball , table tennis , tennis , squash and swimming . 1961 Syrian parliamentary election Izzat an-Nuss Military Maarouf al-Dawalibi People's Parliamentary elections were held in Syria on 1 and 2 December 1961. The People's Party remained
4320-404: The decision of the United Nations General Assembly. When Transjordan agreed to this proposal, Egypt intervened to prevent this from happening. It was followed by the creation of a mutual defence treaty two years later. A common market was established in 1965. The Arab League has not achieved much cooperation throughout its history. According to Michael Barnett and Etel Solingen , the design of
4400-427: The eastern portion of the occupied West Bank known as the Jordan Valley . The Arab League met in Cairo on 12 October 2019 to discuss Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria . Upon meeting, its member states voted to condemn the Turkish offensive, dubbing it both an 'invasion' and an 'aggression' against an Arab state, adding that the organization saw it as a violation of international law. On 9 September 2020,
4480-409: The establishment of a 'civil, democratic state', not an Islamic republic." According to Bayanouni, the Syrian government admits having detained 30,000 people, giving a fair representation of the Brotherhood's strength. According to leaked American cables , Syrian President Bashar al Assad allegedly called Hamas an "uninvited guest" and said "If you want me to be effective and active, I have to have
4560-441: The establishment of a Joint Arab Force with the aim of counteracting extremism and other threats to the Arab States. The decision was reached while Operation Decisive Storm was intensifying in Yemen. Participation in the project is voluntary, and the army intervenes only at the request of one of the member states. Heightened military arsenal in many member states and, in a small minority, civil wars as well as terrorist movements were
4640-406: The impetuses for JAF's establishment. In the early 1970s, the Economic Council put forward a proposal to create the Joint Arab Chambers of Commerce across international states. That led to the setting up of mandates to promote, encourage and facilitate bilateral trade between the Arab world and significant trading partners. Following adoption of the Alexandria Protocol in 1944, the Arab League
4720-483: The largest ethnic group in the Arab League, there are several other ethnic groups that also reside in the region, including Berbers , Kurds , Somalis , Assyrians , Armenians , Nubians , Mandaeans , and Circassians . Each of these groups have their own distinct cultures, languages, and traditions. As of 1 July 2013, about 359 million people live in the states of the Arab League. Its population grows faster than in most other global regions. The most populous member state
4800-424: The league in 1945 were to strengthen and coordinate the political, cultural, economic and social programs of its members and to mediate disputes among them or between them and third parties. Furthermore, the signing of an agreement on Joint Defence and Economic Cooperation on 13 April 1950 committed the signatories to coordination of military defence measures. In March 2015, the Arab League General Secretary announced
4880-477: The league's history, other smaller Arab Organizations have achieved more than the league has, such as the GCC , but lately several major economic projects that are promising are to be completed, the Arab Gas Pipeline is to end by 2010, Connecting Egyptian and Iraqi Gas to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, and then to Turkey thus Europe, a free trade Agreement ( GAFTA ) is to be completed by 1 January 2008, making 95% of all Arab products tax free of customs. The Arab League
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#17327718859704960-421: The nations can, therefore, no more be questioned de jure than the independence of any of the other Arab States. [...] Therefore, the States signatory to the Pact of the Arab League consider that in view of Palestine's special circumstances, the Council of the League should designate an Arab delegate from Palestine to participate in its work until this country enjoys actual independence At the Cairo Summit of 1964,
5040-429: The natural preference of ruling elites to maintain their power and independence in decision making. Moreover, the fear of the richer that the poorer may share their wealth in the name of Arab nationalism , the feuds among Arab rulers , and the influence of external powers that might oppose Arab unity can be seen as obstacles towards a deeper integration of the league. Mindful of their previous announcements in support of
5120-425: The other". The Muslim Brotherhood was considered the main opposition group in Syria to the government on the eve of the 2011 uprising , but failed to make a significant mark on the protests against the government. The Syrian uprising's core population of protesters came from a younger generation which had come of age in a Syria without significant Muslim Brotherhood presence. However, among the expatriated opposition,
5200-401: The outbreak of the First Libyan Civil War . The Arab League voted to restore Libya's membership on 27 August 2011 by accrediting a representative of the National Transitional Council , which was the partially recognised interim government of the country. Syria was suspended on 16 November 2011 in the aftermath of the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War . On 6 March 2013, the Arab League gave
5280-402: The period 1976–1982, and membership in the Brotherhood in Syria became a capital offence in 1980. Following the Hama uprising of 1982 in the wake of the wider Islamist insurgency in Syria (1979–1982) , when thousands of armed insurgents and civilians were killed by the military the Brotherhood was effectively broken as an active political force inside Syria. The Muslim Brotherhood in exile
5360-418: The radicalization of the group because were mostly in exile due to the brutality and violent repression of the Syrian government. The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria was founded in the mid-1940s by Mustafa al-Siba'i and Muhammad al-Mubarak al-Tayyib, who were friends and colleagues of the founder of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al-Banna. In the first years of Syrian independence the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood
5440-418: The relations between member states and co-ordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries". The organization has received a relatively low level of cooperation throughout its history. Through institutions, notably the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) and
5520-424: The secular government. After the secular Ba'athist military coup of 8 March 1963 , the new administration drastically restricted political freedoms, and concentrated power in the hands of the military and awarded prominent positions to the country's Alawite minority. Sunni Syrian Islamists – from the majority faith – did not have representation in the government. From the start, Islamic political groups, of which
5600-403: The secular opposition are inclined to take this evolution seriously, as a sign of the Brotherhood's greater political maturity, and believe that the Brotherhood would now be willing to participate in a democratic system of government. In a January 2006 interview, the Brotherhood's leader, Ali Sadreddine Bayanouni , "said the Muslim Brotherhood wants a peaceful change of government in Damascus and
5680-487: The southern Egyptian city of Abu Simbel with the northern Sudanese city of Wadi Halfa and then to Khartoum and Port Sudan . The third division of the League is the Maghreb , where a 3,000 km stretch of railway runs from the southern cities of Morocco to Tripoli in Western Libya . The fourth division of the League is the Horn of Africa , whose member states include Djibouti and Somalia . These two Arab League states are separated by only ten nautical miles from
5760-533: The southern part of Sudan . It is referred to as the food basket of the Arab World , the region's instability including the independence of South Sudan has not affected its tourism industry, that is considered the fastest growing industry in the region, with Egypt , UAE , Lebanon , Tunisia , and Jordan leading the way. Another industry that is growing steadily in the Arab League is telecommunications. Economical achievements within members have been low in
5840-791: The two regions. The last division of the League is the isolated archipelago of the Comoros located off the coast of East Africa , which is not physically connected to any other Arab state, but still trades with other Arab League members. In collecting literacy data, many countries estimate the number of literate people based on self-reported data. Some use educational attainment data as a proxy, but measures of school attendance or grade completion may differ. Because definitions and data collection methods vary across countries, literacy estimates should be used with caution. United Nations Development Programme , Human Development Report 2010. The Persian Gulf region has had an oil boom , enabling more schools and universities to be set up. While Arabs constitute
5920-469: The uprising had been crushed. A newspaper article by the president's brother, Rifaat al-Assad , stated that the government was prepared to "sacrifice a million martyrs" (over a tenth of Syria's population at that time) in order to stamp out "the nation's enemies". On 7 July 1980, the government passed a law making membership in the Brotherhood punishable by death. Typically, however, the administration practiced indiscriminate, collective punishment: in August,
6000-479: Was Dr. Mustafa al-Siba'i . By 1954, the Syrian association led by Mustafa al-Siba'i offered assistance to its Egyptian sister organisation, which Gamal 'Abd al-Nasser was then subjecting to severe repression . However, it was not until the 1960s that the Syrian Brotherhood came to play a major role in politics, as part of a broad-based resistance movement, which developed into armed struggle, against
6080-453: Was agreed to reinstate Syria's membership. The Arab League is a political organization which tries to help integrate its members economically, and solve conflicts involving member states without asking for foreign assistance. It possesses elements of a state representative parliament while foreign affairs are often conducted under UN supervision. The Charter of the Arab League endorsed the principle of an Arab nation-state while respecting
6160-800: Was among the 250 signatories of the Damascus Declaration of 2005, a statement of unity by Syrian opposition including the Arab nationalist National Democratic Rally, the Kurdish Democratic Alliance , the Committees of Civil Society, the Kurdish Democratic Front, and the Movement of the Future, and calling for "peaceful, gradual," reform "founded on accord, and based on dialogue and recognition of
6240-520: Was founded on 22 March 1945. The official headquarters of the League was the Boustan Palace in Cairo. It aimed to be a regional organisation of Arab states with a focus to developing the economy, resolving disputes and coordinating political aims. Other countries later joined the league. Each country was given one vote in the council. The first major action was joint intervention to keep Palestine from being divided into two states in keeping with
6320-481: Was part of the legal opposition, and in the 1961 parliamentary elections it won ten seats. After the 1963 coup brought the secularist , pan-Arabist Ba'ath Party to power, it was banned. The Brotherhood played a major role in the mainly Sunni -based resistance movement that opposed the secular Ba'ath Party, (since 1971 dominated by the Alawite Assad family , adding a religious element to its conflict with
6400-525: Was suspended from the Arab League on 26 March 1979 due to the Egypt–Israel peace treaty , with the League's headquarters moving from Cairo to Tunis , Tunisia. In 1987, Arab League states restored diplomatic relations with Egypt, the country was readmitted to the League in May 1989 and the League's headquarters were moved back to Cairo in September 1990. Libya was suspended on 22 February 2011, following
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