Islamic Action Front

The IAF's support base is composed largely of Jordanians of Palestinian descent, and represents one of the major opposition movements in the country. The IAF has taken an oppositional role towards Jordanian-Israeli relations.

In 1997, three years after Jordan's peace accord with Israel, IAF boycotted Parliamentary elections, citing manipulation by the government.Jillian Schwedler, Faith in Moderation: Islamist Parties in Jordan and Yemen. Cambridge 2006.

At the legislative elections, 17 June 2003, the party won 20 out of 84 seats. All other seats were won by non-partisans. The National Democratic Block did not win any seats.

During the August 2007 municipal elections, IAF withdrew their 25 candidates up for election, accusing 'the authorities of manipulating votes cast by military personnel who were taking part in municipal elections for the first time.{{Cite web|url=http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Jordan/215686|title=albawaba.com middle east news information::Jordan: Islamic opposition urges king to cancel municipal elections results|website=www.albawaba.com|access-date=2007-08-02|archive-date=2007-09-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927014830/http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Jordan/215686|url-status=live}}

The voter turnout for the election was a record-low 51%, but IAF still won four contests, including two mayoral races.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}}

Four months later, the IAF fielded 22 candidates for the Jordanian national elections held on November 20, 2007. Of its 22 candidates, only six won parliamentary seats in the elections, marking the lowest showing of the Islamist party since the resumption of parliamentary life in Jordan in 1989.

The IAF attributed its loss to the government overlooking illegal practices such as vote buying, the transfer of large numbers of votes, and inserting large numbers of voting cards in ballot boxes[http://www.jabha.net/body0.asp?field=beanat2003&id=125 Jabha.net] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070727225012/http://www.jabha.net/body0.asp?field=beanat2003&id=125 |date=2007-07-27 }} {{in lang|ar}}. Nevertheless, a few days after the election, the Muslim Brotherhood (the social organization that informs the IAF's platform and whose political branch the IAF is considered to be) dissolved its Shura Council and started preparing for internal elections to take place within six months.{{fact|date=February 2025}}

In 2009, the deputy secretary of the party declared that the Pope was not welcome in the kingdom after plans were announced for Pope Benedict XVI to visit the country.{{Cite web|url=http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=24855|title=Islamists To Pope: Define Your Position on Islam, Peace|access-date=2009-04-16|archive-date=2009-09-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913000444/http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=24855|url-status=live}}

In 2012, Rohile Gharaibeh, a former senior IAF official, established the Zamzam Initiative, an organization with the stated goal of ending the Brotherhood's "monopoly on Islamic discourse" and promoting a more inclusive, indigenous Islam that does not "alienate the public."{{Cite web|title = Down and Out in Amman: The Rise and Fall of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood|url = http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/down-and-out-in-amman-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-jordanian-muslim-brotherhood|website = www.washingtoninstitute.org|access-date = 2016-01-22|archive-date = 2016-04-02|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160402171405/http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/down-and-out-in-amman-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-jordanian-muslim-brotherhood|url-status = live}} However, the Brotherhood's Shura Council responded by prohibiting members from interacting with the new group."{{Cite web|title = The Implosion of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood|url = http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-implosion-of-jordans-muslim-brotherhood|website = www.washingtoninstitute.org|access-date = 2016-01-22|archive-date = 2016-01-30|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160130072405/http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-implosion-of-jordans-muslim-brotherhood|url-status = live}}

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In 2015, the IAF was split between reformists and nonreformists, resulting in the party terminating the membership of seven members: Abdul Majeed Thneibat, Qassem Taamneh, Mamdouh Muheisen, Khalil Askar, Ali Tarawneh, Jaber Abul Hija and Mohammad Qaramseh.{{Cite web|url=http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/members-new-muslim-brotherhood-society-join-planned-zamzam-political-party%E2%80%99|title=Members of new Muslim Brotherhood society to join 'planned Zamzam political party'|date=November 4, 2015|website=Jordan Times}} As a result, they formed the new Muslim Brotherhood Society, who will join the National Initiative for Building.

In December 2015, around 400 members resigned from the IAF, including Hamzeh Mansour, a former Secretary-General of the organisation.{{cite web |author=Khetam Malkawi |url=http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/hundreds-including-top-leaders-abandon-islamist-party |title=Hundreds, including top leaders, abandon Islamist party |publisher=The Jordan Times |date=31 December 2015 |access-date=31 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151231084657/http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/hundreds-including-top-leaders-abandon-islamist-party |archive-date=31 December 2015}}

On 23 April 2025, the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan was banned and outlawed after members of the group were found to be linked to a sabotage plot. Jordanian interior minister Mazen Al-Farrayeh said all the activities of the group would be banned and anyone promoting its ideology would be held accountable by law. The IAF's offices were searched and documents confiscated, but the party was not banned.{{Cite news |date=23 April 2025 |title=Jordan outlaws Muslim Brotherhood group, confiscates its assets and offices |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jordan-outlaws-muslim-brotherhood-group-confiscates-its-assets-offices-2025-04-23/ |access-date=23 April 2025 |work=Reuters}}

The Islamic Action Front has been somewhat less radical than some Islamist parties in other Middle Eastern countries since 2015.{{cite web |last1=Timreck |first1=Sarah |title=The Islamist Spectrum - Jordan's Mosaic |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/the-islamist-spectrum-jordans-mosaic |website=Wilson Center |access-date=13 May 2020 |date=13 December 2017 |archive-date=29 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729074545/https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/the-islamist-spectrum-jordans-mosaic |url-status=live }} The party condemns violence and terrorism. MP Dima Tahboub has expressed support for what she sees as the Palestinian right to self-defense from "Israeli aggression".{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/jordanian-mp-what-you-see-as-violence-is-only-defending-our-country/a-39774845|title = Jordanian MP: 'What you see as violence is only defending our country' | DW | 20.07.2017| website=Deutsche Welle}}

Ibrahim Zeid Keilani, a former Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, served for a long time as the head of the Sharia Ulema Committee of the party.{{cite web|url=http://www.albawaba.com/news/jordanian-islamists-outraged-over-saturday-day |title=Jordanian Islamists Outraged over Saturday Day Off |publisher=Al Bawaba |date=1 February 2000 |access-date=21 October 2013}}

Within the IAF Abu Zant called himself the leader of the most radical section of the party.{{cite book|author=Lamar Smith|title=Terrorist Threats to the United States: Congressional Hearing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VmB-8ZWpaywC&pg=PA28|date=1 November 2001|publisher=DIANE Publishing|isbn=978-0-7567-1725-4|page=28}} He had a sizeable group of followers.{{cite book|author=Jillian Schwedler|title=Faith in Moderation: Islamist Parties in Jordan and Yemen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DVwHXnOSeNUC&pg=PA92|date=19 June 2006|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-85113-8|pages=92–}}{{vague|date=April 2016}}

• List of Islamic political parties
• List of political parties in Jordan

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080126061148/http://www.jabha.net/ Website]

{{Jordanian political parties}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1992 establishments in Jordan

Category:Islamic political parties

Category:Organizations that oppose LGBTQ rights in Asia

Category:Political parties affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood

Category:Political parties established in 1992

Category:Political parties in Jordan