Egypt: The Muslim Brotherhood is down, but is it out?

Official Seal of the Muslim Brotherhood

These are dark days for the Muslim Brotherhood. But it has seen dark days before.

For now, it has been shoved aside by Egypt's military, which took up the cause of millions of protesters fed up with their country's myriad problems, many of which they placed at the feet of the Brotherhood, its ruling Freedom and Justice Party, and the party's leader, now-former President Mohamed Morsi.

Leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, and many of its rank-and-file in the streets, said they would defend Morsi with their lives. Scores of people, on both sides of the divide, have been killed in widespread clashes, and the prospect of more bloodshed is real. Within hours of Morsi's removal, reports surfaced that Christian churches were being burned.

The Brotherhood has never before been in this position – attaining the national seat of power, only to lose it. But it has endured many hardships. It has been ridiculed, hounded, outlawed, tortured and exiled, even within its birthplace, Egypt. Yet it had endured to emerge as "the most important Islamic organisation in the world," according to a new review of the Brotherhood's origins, methods and influence. Read more