‘They Are All the Same’ : Securitising the Muslim Brotherhood in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Ordering Space and the Regional ‘Common Sense’

Bordon Osorio, Javier (2025) ‘They Are All the Same’ : Securitising the Muslim Brotherhood in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Ordering Space and the Regional ‘Common Sense’. The International Spectator: Italian Journal of International Affairs. ISSN 0393-2729

Abstract

Order in the Middle East cannot be fully understood without delving into the securitisation of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). In its multi-faceted existence as an organisation, a movement and, most importantly, an idea, the MB weaves together transnational and domestic struggles over what political projects are legitimate, who holds dominant positions and other divisions and gradations that organise social space. By looking at securitisation as a struggle over order, it is possible to examine the post-2011 securitisation of the MB and its spatial implications, focusing on processes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Egypt at the intersection of transnational politics. Combining securitisation theory, Bourdieu’s social theory and spatial theory strengthens our understanding of how interlocking securitisation processes carry far-reaching implications for power, order and space in the Middle East, shaping relations and the normative ‘common sense’ in and across scales.