Egyptian court bans Muslim Brotherhood

Resilient

Security forces killed hundreds of its supporters in raids on their Cairo protest camps in August and rounded up thousands more, including many leaders, among them Morsi.

Brotherhood veterans said it is increasingly difficult to persuade young members, who are likely to be infuriated by the court decision, to resist using force against the state.

Human rights activist Gamal Eid questioned the wisdom of the court's decision, saying it could backfire.

"With an eye to the future, you will see the ruling is wrong. It will make them work in the darkness," he said on social media. "It will make the Brotherhood continue practicing violence and hate speeches."

The Brotherhood has proven resilient throughout its 85-year history.

Egypt's army rulers formally dissolved the Brotherhood in 1954 and its has survived repression under various strongmen, relying on its funds and social charity networks to become the country's biggest political party.

Operating those networks, which made the group popular over past decades, may prove to be impossible now given the court's ruling.

Attacks by militants have risen since the army overthrew Morsi. Most of the violence has taken place in the Sinai Peninsula near the border with Israel and the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. The army has responded with air and ground attacks.

A failed suicide bombing against the interior minister on September 5 and attacks on police in Cairo have raised fears that militant violence is taking hold beyond the Sinai.

Last week, Egyptian security forces stormed the town of Kerdasa near Cairo to flush out armed Morsi supporters.