The Syrian Zugzwang

... by the Ba'ath Party, they failed to participate legally in the political process in Syria. In March 1963, Ikhwan members declared a holy war on the government of Syria in the Grand Mosque of Damascus (Umayyad Mosque). The rise to power of the secular Ba'ath Party changed the Ikhwan’s policy in critical ways. Hafez al-Assad’s efforts to steamroller the opposition provoked the gradual radicalization of Ikhwan activities. Searching for new forms of activity, the Muslim Brotherhood increasingly resorted to radical political struggle, characterized by extremism and violence. As a result, on July 7, 1980 the Syrian parliament passed a law under which affiliation to the Muslim Brotherhood was punishable by the death ...