“We Have Always Been Here”: Three Generations of Leadership from the Muslim Brotherhood to the Islamic Action Front in Jordan

Women in the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) have often been seen as marginal figures within a predominantly male-dominated organization. However, their ability to carve out space and relevance reflects a significant shift among both women and men within the movement. Notably, women are gaining momentum in the Islamic Action Front, which today serves as the main opposition party in Jordan and embodies the political project of the MB.

Based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork and a diverse range of sources—including biographical interviews and archival documents— this paper aims to unearth women’s history within the MB, reexamining the organisation’s dynamism, debates, contrasts, and internal criticisms in light of women’s contributions.

The study highlights three key figures whose different experiences in geography, class, and motivation illustrate the multifaceted and ordinary nature of the MB in Jordan. The first is Fatima Farhan (Umm Ahmad), born in the 1940s. She was a charismatic leader and founding member of the political party, actively engaged with the MB in various sectors, including da’wa, education, and teaching, two decades before the party's establishment in 1991. The second figure is Hayat al-Misiymi (b. 1961), who became the first woman elected as an MP within the party in 2003 and the second woman nationwide. Active since her high school years, she later solidified her commitment through student movements, syndicates, and the political party. Hayat hails from Zarqa, a densely populated and impoverished neighbourhood near the Jordanian capital. Finally, the paper examines the rise of Dima Tahboub (b. 1970s), the former spokeswoman of the party and a current MP, who is a significant figure in contemporary Jordanian politics. This study explores how these women navigate their roles as both innovators and outsiders in a complex religious, social, and political context, as well as within the holistic but ordinary movement of the MB.