Will Qatar abandon supporting MB to ease rift with Arab states?

CAIRO - 7 July 2017: While Muslim Brotherhood (MB) groups in different countries have revealed their stances following the cutting of ties with Qatar by four Arab states, Qatar’s stance towards the MB remains unclear.

The Gulf nation has not released any statements or taken any action towards the Muslim Brotherhood group. Controversy stirred about whether it will abandon supporting the group in exchange for improving relations with the four Arab countries.

Egypt, the United Arab of Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have boycotted diplomatic ties with Qatar for supporting terrorist groups.

Speaking to experts on how Qatar would deal in this regard, Ahmed Ban, an expert on affairs of Islamic movements, told Egypt Today, “It’s impossible that Qatar would give up on the dream of establishing a Muslim Brotherhood empire.”

Ban further explained that Qatar’s stance towards the MB group is completely dependent on the will of the U.S. administration to designate the Brotherhood as a terrorist group. His statements referred that if the U.S. agreed to designate the MB as terrorist group, this would pressure Qatar to stop supporting the group, in which the group will be listed as a terrorist group by the world’s most powerful state.

Moreover, Gamal El-Menshawy, an expert in the Islamic movement’s affairs, said that the Qatari crisis will impact Muslim Brotherhood groups, explaining that the longer the crisis between Doha and the Arab states continues, the more it raise the Brotherhood's concerns.
Menshawy added that sooner or later Qatar will get rid of the burden of supporting the Brotherhood, especially since the crisis has been strongly impacting its interests.

In 2013 and 2014, the Muslim Brotherhood was recognized as a terrorist organization by Egypt, Saudi, Russia and the UAE. Egypt has repeatedly condemned Qatar’s support of the MB group; however, it continued its stance, seeking to boost its influence through the group in the region. Since then, the U.S. has not declared the MB as a terrorist group, despite being demanded by several countries.

The four Arab states have requested 13 demands from Qatar, which were presented by Kuwait, the mediator in the crisis. The demands included that Qatar must shut down Al Jazeera TV network, cut diplomatic ties with Iran, stop financing and supporting terror groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, and ending Turkey's military presence in Doha.

A number of 13 countries, including the four Arab states, have shut down Al-Jazeera offices in their lands and banned its broadcasting due to accusations of it publishing false information and inciting violence.