Shocking statement from the de-facto leader of the Muslim Brotherhood

Ibrahim Munir, a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood, who lives in exile, told Reuters that the group would not engage in a new power struggle with the Egyptian government.

Munir said: "We completely reject (violence) and we consider it outside the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood - not only the use of violence and arms, but to have a struggle for power in Egypt in any form."

He added: "We reject the struggle for power even if between political parties through elections organized by the state. This is totally rejected by us."

According to these statements, Munir has announced to the whole world that the Muslim Brotherhood has completely withdrawn from the Egyptian political arena.

Ibrahim Munir is the acting leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and one of the most prominent figures of the group... Here is a short biography:

Mounir was born in 1937 and joined the ranks of the Muslim Brotherhood in his youth. Two years after the coup of July 23, 1952, which overthrew King Farouk, Mounir was imprisoned with tens of thousands of members of the group, following the assassination attempt on Gamal Abdel Nasser, the leader of the coup scenes in Alexandria.

Egyptian President Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat, who came to power after Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1970, issued a presidential pardon in 1975 to prisoners, releasing Munir, who had been serving a life sentence.

Sadat's policy was represented in rapprochement and alliance with the United States in order to break the influence of the Soviet Union on Egypt. To implement this policy, Sadat provided support to the Islamists against the communists, and thus the Brotherhood's cadres became more relaxed and freely active.

Munir did not stay in Egypt for a long time. He initially moved to live in Kuwait and the Emirates, then settled in the British capital, London, in the early eighties.

The last time Ibrahim Munir set foot in his homeland was in 1987, and since then he has been living abroad.

Munir played a prominent role in establishing the international relations and links of the Brotherhood took over the management of the group's institutions in Europe and organized its relations with the media. Munir became the group's first official and acting guide after the arrest of Mahmoud Ezzat in 2020, who was the last general guide of the Muslim Brotherhood (general president).

This led to major divisions and disagreements within the Brotherhood, as there were only a few leaders of the group who considered Munir an independent figure.

After a period of tensions, a statement was issued on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood in October of last year stating that Ibrahim Munir represented himself and not the group.

Ibrahim Munir, who lives in London, is still popular among the Brotherhood's ranks. In his last interview with Reuters, the agency identified him as the current de facto leader of the Brotherhood (the acting Brotherhood guide). It is not difficult to explain that this definition came from Munir himself.

Munir's recent statements aroused interest, especially as they coincided with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's call for a comprehensive national dialogue with all political forces.

Al-Sisi announced the launch of this dialogue in the month of Ramadan, stressing the need to find common ground that brings all parties together in light of the difficult circumstances that Egypt is experiencing.

But at the same time, Sisi accuses the Brotherhood of being the reason for destabilizing his country, as he said in one of his words: "Khairat Al-Shater threatened me."

Al-Shater is considered one of the most prominent figures in the Brotherhood, he was the group's candidate for the presidency of Egypt before Mohamed Morsi, when the Egyptian Supreme Committee for Presidential Elections rejected his candidacy, and today he is still in prison.

In addition, the Egyptian media spared no effort to smear the Brotherhood since 2013.

The Egyptian TV series "The Choice" sheds light on the role played by Abdel Fattah El-Sisi between (2012-2014), where 30 episodes were broadcast last Ramadan. The series portrayed Sisi as the hero who saved the country from chaos. Al-Sisi himself praised the series, stressing that it conveyed the truth as it is.

In light of this political atmosphere, can the Egyptian government conclude a reconciliation agreement with the Brotherhood?

Such questions may seem pointless or unnecessary, but this is the Middle East and nothing on this earth seems impossible.

In addition, the course of the Brotherhood's political history indicates fluctuations in relations with power.

And, God willing, I will highlight in a column on Saturday the main positions and turning points in the course of the Brotherhood's history.