häsˈsän äl-bänˈnə, 1906–49, Egyptian religious and political leader; founder of the Muslim Brotherhood. He was involved with traditional Islamic education in Egypt. In 1928 he formed the Society of the Muslim Brothers, which sought a return to original religious precepts. As the organization grew and became militant in the 1930s and 40s, Hasan al-Banna was viewed as a threat by the central government. He was assassinated in 1949.

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