The Brotherhood’s Political Authenticity in Jordan

As weeks go by, anti-government rallies in Jordan are attracting more and more protesters and the Muslim Brotherhood is positioning itself to become a leading player among Jordanian lawmakers if and when democratic reforms are enacted.

The Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood is the only established opposition party in the country, and it is estimated that it could win up to 25 percent of parliamentary seats if electoral reforms are carried out.

The group enjoys widespread respect and support as it struggles against corruption and poverty, however, the only issue some Jordanians are concerned about is the Brotherhood’s hard line against Israel, fearing that an end to the peace process could upset the region’s delicate security balance.

As the international community wrangles over peace treaties with Israel, the Brotherhood in Jordan is making significant contributions to alleviate poverty in a nation where almost 14% are unemployed and where people pay more for petrol than Americans pay in the US and where salaries have stagnated while prices continue to rise.

An authentic and trusted voice of the people, the IAF maintains its strong stance against Israel simply because the group believes the peace treaty is unjust but adds that any change in the peace agreement should be decided by popular referendum.