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A Maryland-incorporated organization is among six groups convening the First National Conference, an Egyptian opposition event expected to take place in the Netherlands this month. The conference’s official website lists the Center for Egyptian American Relations, or CEAR, alongside Maydan, the Egyptian Revolutionary Council, Egypt Technocrats, Amal Egypt Party and Justice Matter as organizers of the event.
CEAR describes itself as a nonprofit incorporated under Maryland law in accordance with Section 501(c)(3), but IRS nonprofit records list the organization under EIN 46-5259820 and indicate that its federal tax-exempt status was automatically revoked in 2024.
Maydan, another conference organizer, is on Egypt’s terrorism list, and currently lists Yahya Moussa among its leadership. Moussa, described in reporting as a senior Muslim Brotherhood figure, was designated by the United States for his role as a leader of HASM, which Washington designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
The conference is intended to develop proposals for Egypt in the event of a future political transition, covering the country’s political system, economy, foreign policy, armed forces, security services, judiciary, media and Sinai. Maydan separately announced the project’s launch in April.
Maydan’s Muslim Brotherhood and HASM Connections
Maydan’s leadership includes several figures with documented connections to Muslim Brotherhood networks. Egyptian court records reported separately by Al-Masry Al-Youm identify the Maydan Foundation as the entity established by a group including Yahya Moussa, Reda Fahmy, Mohamed Montasser and Mohamed Elhami. Those are the same four figures Maydan’s current leadership page lists among its chairman and board members.
Additional reporting has examined Maydan’s relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood. A 2026 report by iM Arabic described the organization as founded by Reda Fahmy, whom it identified as a Muslim Brotherhood member, and characterized Maydan as a Brotherhood-linked organization. The report also described the organization as part of efforts by Brotherhood-linked figures to rebuild political influence outside Egypt following the group’s removal from power.
In a 2022 announcement establishing Maydan, Fahmy presented the organization as a youth-focused political movement under the slogan “Youth for Change.” According to iM Arabic, Fahmy’s remarks at the launch included calls for renewed revolutionary mobilization.
Maydan also lists Mohamed Montasser on its board. Montasser previously served as an official media spokesman for the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.
Maydan chairman Reda Fahmy also has a documented Brotherhood history. Earlier reporting identified Fahmy as a Muslim Brotherhood leader who oversaw the group’s Palestinian relations. In a 2013 interview, Fahmy described Hamas’ relationship with the Brotherhood as natural and said Hamas had emerged from Brotherhood thinking.
Another Organizer Has Brotherhood Ties
The Egyptian Revolutionary Council, another of the six groups listed as conference organizers, has a separate history of Muslim Brotherhood involvement. A 2015 Washington Institute analysis reported that senior Muslim Brotherhood leaders had taken official positions within the Egyptian Revolutionary Council. Another report described the council as “Brotherhood-backed,” while noting that its then-chair Maha Azzam was not herself a Muslim Brother.
The conference brings together CEAR alongside organizations and figures with documented links to the Muslim Brotherhood and affiliated groups. While CEAR’s tax-status revocation does not by itself determine the organization’s current activities, it raises questions about its present organizational standing and continued role in convening events alongside groups and figures that have faced terrorism-related scrutiny. The event highlights how organizations and individuals linked in reporting to the Muslim Brotherhood continue to participate in international political and advocacy activities.