A UK-based Saudi newspaper is reporting that according to head of the Muslim Brotherhood’s “International Organization”, many of the Muslim Brotherhood leaders reported to be leaving Qatar will likely be traveling to Turkey or Malaysia. According to the Asharq Al-Awsat report:
September 15 London, Dammam and Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Many of the Muslim Brotherhood members expelled from Qatar on Saturday will likely travel to Turkey or Malaysia, the head of the organization’s international wing has told Asharq Al-Awsat. Speaking via telephone from Morocco, Ibrahim Mounir, the secretary-general of the International Muslim Brotherhood Organization, said he expected most of the members asked to leave Qatar by the government to head to Malaysia or Turkey since many of them had already obtained visas or residency permits to either of these countries, ‘which will make their living or residing there an easy matter.’
This comes as the Muslim Brotherhood said on Saturday that seven of its members currently residing in Qatar had been asked to leave the country by the authorities.
There has as yet been no official confirmation from Doha regarding the decision, but Brotherhood sources speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat said there had been ‘outside pressure’ on Qatar to make the move, one seen as an attempt to appease regional neighbors such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE and Egypt, who have been angered by Doha’s willingness to host senior members of the Brotherhood.
Egypt said it now expects more Brotherhood figures to be expelled from Qatar, which became a prime destination for many of the group’s members fleeing Egypt following Mursi’s ouster.
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The GMBDW reported yesterday on the announcement by the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood that a number of its leaders had been asked by Qatar to leave the country. However, Bloomberg News is reporting that according an anonymous Qatari diplomat, these individuals are leaving Qatar of their own accord and denied they were being expelled as has been widely reported.
Although it has been widely reported that London was the destination for the Brotherhood officials, it would seem unlikely given the greatly increased spotlight focused on the Muslim Brotherhood in the UK resulting from the investigation initiated by UK Prime Minister David Cameron. The GMBDW has long been reporting on Turkey as a new center for the Global Muslim Brotherhood and the importance of Malaysian politician Anwar Ibrahim makes Malaysia a logical choice as well.