ABSTRACT
Within post-revolutionary Egypt, criticism of the Muslim Brotherhood transcended the left-right divide. Both right-wing and left-wing actors constructed the organization as uniquely threatening, drawing on populist frames of a foreign-affiliated “elite” against the “people.” Muslim Brotherhood-related conspiracy theories also circulated widely, accusing the organization of foreign funding and anti-Egyptian plots. How did ideological positioning affect the spread of conspiracy theories? To answer this question, this chapter analyzes conspiracy narratives advanced by left-wing populist actors surrounding the Muslim Brotherhood, providing insight into how left-right populist categories functioned in an environment where polarization largely fell along an alternative (Islamist-non-Islamist) axis.
