In an announcement that triggered massive jubilation among supporters in Cairo 's Tahrir Square , Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi was declared Egypt 's new president Sunday . Morsi had more than 13 million votes in a run-off election , while Ahmed Shafik , who served as the last prime minister under ousted President Hosni Mubarak , had more than 12 million , election officials said . Who is Mohamed Morsi ? Egypt 's largest Islamist party , the Muslim Brotherhood , lost its grip on legislative power earlier this month after the country 's highest court declared parliament invalid . The Brotherhood dominated parliamentary elections in December , winning about half the seats . But Egypt 's interim military rulers -- who have long been at odds with the Brotherhood -- declared full legislative authority in the aftermath of the ruling . However , Morsi 's victory in the presidential election puts the party in a position to reclaim power . What is the Muslim Brotherhood ? The Muslim Brotherhood is a religious and political group founded on the belief that Islam is not simply a religion , but a way of life . It advocates a move away from secularism , and a return to the rules of the Quran as a basis for healthy families , communities , and states . The movement officially rejects the use of violent means to secure its goals . However , offshoots of the group have been linked to attacks in the past , and critics blame the Brotherhood for sparking troubles elsewhere in the Middle East . Many consider it the forerunner of modern militant Islamism . When was it created ? The Muslim Brotherhood has been part of the political scene in Egypt for more than 80 years . It was formed there by Hassan al-Banna in 1928 . Teacher Al-Banna and his followers were initially united by a desire to oust the British from control in Egypt , and to rid their country of what they saw as `` corrupting '' Western influences . What is its history ? In its early years , the group concentrated on religion , education and social services , but as its membership grew , it moved into the political sphere , organizing protests against the Egyptian government . In the 1940s , an armed wing of the Brotherhood was blamed for a string of violent acts , including the assassination of Egyptian Prime Minister Mahmud Fahmi al-Nuqrashi in 1948 -- shortly after he had ordered the dissolution of the MB . Al-Banna himself was assassinated soon afterwards -- his supporters claimed he had been killed on the wishes of the government . The movement went underground in the 1950s , and decades of oppression by successive Egyptian rulers led many of the Brotherhood 's members to flee abroad , while others were jailed . The MB grew throughout the 1980s as part of a general growth of interest in Islam , and the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 saw a spike in membership . Why is it important in Egypt ? The Brotherhood is the oldest and largest opposition group in Egypt . It has widespread support among Egypt 's middle classes , and its members control many of the country 's professional organizations . Up until last year , it was illegal under Egyptian law banning all parties based on religion . But in December , it dominated parliamentary elections , winning about half of the seats up for grabs . How influential is the Brotherhood elsewhere ? There are branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in countries across the Middle East and North and East Africa , including Sudan , Syria and Saudi Arabia . There is also a branch in the U.S. Its offshoots outside Egypt are markedly more conservative in their views : The Kuwaiti branch is said to oppose the right of women to vote . Sayyid Qutb , a member of the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950s and 1960s , developed the doctrine of jihad , and the radical group Hamas is believed to be an offshoot of the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood .
The Muslim Brotherhood has been part of Egyptian politics for 80 years . It advocates a move away from secularism and a return to the rules of the Quran . The Brotherhood is the oldest and largest opposition group in Egypt . Its offshoots outside Egypt are markedly more conservative in their views .