After months of calm between the Brotherhoods’ London and Istanbul fronts, divisions resurfaced in the wake of the pledge of allegiance to Ibrahim Mounir, the acting guide of the Brotherhood, and the appointment of Mahmoud Hussein, the former secretary-general of the organization.
Experts in fundamentalist organizations in Egypt stressed that the Brotherhood has been facing a major rift between those who still adhere to the pledge of allegiance and others who acknowledge the appointment process.
The conflict renewed between Ibrahim Mounir and Mahmoud Hussein following meetings of the so-called, “Global Guidance Office for the organization in London”, which was attended by a number of senior leaders of the organization.
Informed sources said that the Global Guidance Office stipulated that Hussein announce allegiance to Mounir, if he wanted to participate in the meetings, which the latter rejected.
Subsequently, the office issued a statement underlining “the necessity to pledge allegiance to Mounir as the acting guide of the Brotherhood.” On the other hand, Hussein’s supporters announced their intention to hold a meeting of the Brotherhood’s General Shura Council to appoint Hussein as their guide.
Disagreements between the London and Istanbul fronts saw a significant escalation after the General Shura Council formed a committee dubbed, the Acting Committee of the General Guide, to carry out the tasks of the General Guide led by Mustafa Tolba, and dismissed Ibrahim Mounir from his position.
In response, the London front declared that it would not recognize the decisions of the Istanbul front and the so-called General Shura Council, stressing that the organization’s legitimate authority was represented solely by Mounir.
Amr Abdel Moneim, an expert on fundamentalist movements in Egypt, said "The Brotherhood organization is currently living in a state of great rift,” as each group “is trying to prove its existence at the expense of the other.”
