TRAPPED IN A MASONIC WORLD

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Yet despite the 1964 decree declaring the demise of Freemasonry in Egypt, loud cries of ―not so‖ can
still be heard. And if one were to concede to that Freemasonry was on the demise, then Ahmed Abdallah‘s
book: Freemasonry in Our Region 1985, highlights Freemasonry is alive and well in the guise of Rotary
Clubs and other like-minded associations. ―Having accomplished their earlier mission to establish a
Jewish state, Masonic conspirators now intend to undermine Islam using charity work and community
outreach as their tools‖ says Abdallah in his opening chapter. [2] He then consecrates a substantial portion
of his elusive writing equating the ―new Masonic cancer‖ with Rotary and Lions organisations and with
Jehovah‘s Witness, Freedom Now, Solar Tradition, New Age and several other ―fringe‖ organisations.
Some Muslim anti-Masons argue that Freemasonry promotes the interests of the Jews around the world
and that one of its aims is to rebuild the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem after destroying the Al-Aqsa
Mosque. In article 28 of its Covenant, Hamas states that Freemasonry, Rotary, and other similar groups
―...work in the interest of Zionism and according to its instructions...‖ [3] Many countries with a significant
Muslim population do not allow Masonic establishments within their jurisdictions. However, countries
such as Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey and Morocco have established Grand Lodges, while in countries such as
Malaysia and Lebanon there are District Grand Lodges operating under a warrant from an established
Grand Lodge. The Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait is represented in the Kuwaiti parliament by Hadas. [4]
In Algeria in the early 1990s, the MB formed the Movement for the Society of Peace [MSP] -
previously known as Hamas, by Mahfoud Nahnah until his death in 2003 and succeeded by the present
party leader Boudjerra Soltani, who is a member of Algeria‘s three-party coalition government.
In Bahrain, the MB is represented by the Al Eslah [Islah] Society and its political wing, the Al-Menbar
Islamic Society. In 2002, Al Menbar became the joint largest party, and has generally backed government
sponsored legislation on economic issues, but has sought a clamp down on pop concerts, sorcery and
soothsayers. [2] It has strongly opposed the government's accession to the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights on the grounds that this would give Muslim citizens the right to change religion, when
in the party‘s view they should be have their heads chopped off.
The Iraqi Islamic Party was formed in 1960 as the Iraqi branch of the MB, but was banned from 1961,
though post Saddam Hussein regime in 2003, the Islamic Party have re-emerged as one of the main
advocates of the country‘s Sunni community. In the north of Iraq there are several Islamic movements
inspired by or part of the MB network. The Kurdistan Islamic Union [KIU] holds seats in the Kurdish
parliament, as is the main political force outside the dominance of the two main secularist parties, the PUK
and KDP. [2][4]
In Jordan, it‘s viewed by some that the MB is playing an active role in the recent uprisings in several
Arab countries, for example, at a rally held outside the Egyptian Embassy in Amman on the 29th January
2011 with some 100 participants, Hammam Saeed, head of the MB of Jordan said: ―Egypt‘s unrest will
spread across the Mideast and Arabs will topple leaders allied with the United States.‖
In Iraq Masonic lodges existed as early as 1919, when the first lodge under the UGLE was opened in
Basra, and later on when the country was under British Mandate just after the First World War. However
the position changed in July 1958 following the Revolution, with the abolition of the Monarchy and Iraq
being declared a republic, under General Qasim. The licences permitting lodges to meet were rescinded
and later laws were introduced banning any further meetings. This position was later reinforced under
Saddam Hussein, the death penalty was prescribed for those who promote or acclaim Zionist principles,
including Freemasonry, or who associate [themselves] with Zionist organisations.
With the fall of the Hussein government in 2003, a number of Lodges have begun to meet on military
bases within Iraq. These lodges primarily cater to British and American military units, but a few have
initiated Iraqis. - Several Grand Lodges have expressed a desire to charter Lodges with completely Iraqi
membership in the near future. And as I‘ve already pointed out Freemasonry has a long history and well
established base throughout the middle-east.
In Syria and according to the recent leaked American cables, via Wikileaks, 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 a relationship with all parties. Hamas is the Muslim Brotherhood, but we have to deal with
the reality of their presence.‖ This comparison of Hamas to that of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, which
was crushed by his father Hafez al Assad in 1982, and then allegedly claiming Hamas would disappear if
peace were brought to the Middle East, [5] so in effect his saying that peace in the Middle East will come
about if the Muslim Brotherhood was no longer on the scene.
In Saudi Arabia the MB has been tolerated by the Saudi government, and maintains a presence in the
country. Though according to a Washington Post report on the 11th September 2004, Saudi Interior