"The Muslim Brotherhood" on the way back to Syria

The Syrian parliament has begun collecting signatures for a proposal to repeal Law 49 of 1980, which criminalizes membership in the Muslim Brotherhood with the death penalty. The move signals the movement's possible return to political life in Syria after decades of exclusion, and poses a political test for Syrian leader al-Julani, who has not yet allowed the movement to resume activity.

The Syrian parliament has recently begun gathering the signatures required to submit a proposal to repeal "Law 49" of 1980, which bans membership in the Muslim Brotherhood organization and imposes the death penalty on those convicted of it. The move comes as the movement shows signs of returning to political life after decades of exclusion under the Assad family's rule. The law was enacted by Hafez al-Assad, who persecuted the movement's activists. Syria's current leader, al-Julani, who grew up under al-Qaeda ideology, has not rushed to return the movement to activity despite repealing many other laws. An expert on Islamic movements interviewed in Saudi Arabia argued that the proposal will constitute a test for al-Julani, who has said his government is a transitional one. Failure to return the movement to politics could be interpreted as a fear of losing power. Another expert argued that many citizens will support the movement as a symbol of victory over the tyrannical regime, but the Muslim Brotherhood's 1980s version does not match their current version.