Leaked audio shows massive rift between Muslim Brotherhood’s London and Istanbul ‘fronts’

CAIRO – 27 October 2021: An audio leakage of Ahmed Matar, a Muslim Brotherhood leader residing in the Balkans, surfaced on Wednesday, revealing major rift within the ranks of the group.

 

A series of leaked phone calls by leaders of the group has been dubbed “the war of leaks” in the Egyptian media, signaling a form of “vengeance” between the Islamist group’s clans. 

 

Matar, who is affiliated with the “London front,” led by Ibrahim Mounir, rather than the “Istanbul front,” led by Mahmoud Hussein, said Ezzat and his clan are descendants of “a secret gang” that joined the Muslim Brotherhood in 1954-1974. He claimed they are “not really of the Muslim Brotherhood. 

 

The two “front” were created by the diaspora of the elite members of the group in the aftermath of the 2013 overthrow of their short-lived rule of Egypt.

 

For years, this subgroup promoted those with “limited energies,” such as Mahmoud Hussein, Mahmoud Ghozlan, Mahmoud Abdel Rahim, Mahmoud Ibrahim, and Mahmoud al-Ibiary, Matar claimed. 

 

Those members of the group were born in 1935-1949 and “sneaked” into the group while late President Gamal Abdel Nasser was persecuting the outlawed organization, according to Matar.

 

This “gang” were responsible for the three “nos” that the Muslim Brotherhood is known for: no, ambition, no innovation, no thinking. During the 2011 revolution in Egypt, many activists have complained about the rigidity of the members of the Muslim Brotherhood and attributed that to the three nos that guarantee full obedience to the leaders. 

 

Matar lamented that there is “nothing they could do,” and that it is “over,” unless a “disaster saves the Brotherhood from them.” He claimed that Mahmoud Hussein is taking the group “to hell.”

 

The subgroup was responsible for excluding qualified members of the group during the one-year presidency of Mohamed Morsi, he claimed.

 

Mounir Adib, a researcher specializing in terrrorist organizations, assumed the audio was leaked at the orders of Ibrahim Mounir of the "London front," who now has the upper hand in the Muslim Brotherhood, according to Adib. 

 

This goes to show the kind of ethical and financial corruption within the group, the researcher said, adding that if the "Istanbul front" rebelled against their peers in London, it would be the end of the 90-year old group, as this is the first time the organization has gone through such division.