The Brotherhood and the curse of Supreme Guide in distributing roles

From his office in London, Brotherhood leader Ibrahim Mounir announced his appointment as acting supreme guide of the terrorist organization upon the arrest of the previous guide, Mahmoud Ezzat, in Egypt, adding that the group’s leadership would be transferred from the Istanbul office in Turkey to London, where his residence is not agreed upon because of his stances towards the Brotherhood’s youth, in addition to being accused of embezzling donation funds.

Filling the vacuum

The decision to install Mounir was not a shocking matter, especially since the group wanted to fill the leadership vacuum following Ezzat’s arrest. However, the statement issued by the acting guide after his selection included some decisions indicating changes in the group’s organizational structure, most notably the inclusion of members of those affiliated with the reformists and reducing the powers of Mahmoud Hussein, the assistant secretary-general of the international organization.

Supreme Terrorism Committee

For the first time in the history of the group since its inception in 1928, its affairs are managed from outside Egypt, as Al-Arabiya quoted unnamed sources that the group decided to form a supreme committee to manage the group, which includes Mahmoud Ibiary, Mohammed al-Behairi and Mahmoud Hussein, in addition to some other leaders nominated by youth members of the group in order to prevent splits and attempt to unify the ranks. It also refused to hold internal elections in response to the desires of its members, justifying that the current situation is intolerable.

Hussein was responsible for the Brotherhood’s mailing group, which is charged with transmitting the instructions and assignments received from Ezzat to the rest of the Brotherhood leaders through a special mailing group that includes a narrow and limited circle of leaders. He also runs another mailing group for the group's other members, which is a larger group in which a large number of leaders and members participate.

More recently, he assumed administrative and financial responsibilities for the Brotherhood in Europe and supervised the follow-up of the group's companies and institutions commissioned by the international organization, in addition to supervising the sponsorship of the group’s members fleeing Egypt to Turkey. His name was mentioned more than once in leaks stating that he embezzled money from donations sent to the group.

In 2015, Amr Farrag, founder of the pro-Brotherhood Rassd Network, revealed that the Brotherhood leaders opened an investigation into Hussein regarding the group’s funds he was tasked with managing. “They seized apartments and buildings, and got luxury cars from the organization’s money,” Farrag said.

Regarding Mounir assuming the duties of the guide despite also being accused like Hussein of embezzlement and not searching for new faces, Ismail Naji Sheikh, a member of the National Shura Council of the Algerian Ennahda Movement, said that the ideas of the single leader, patriarchy and the founding generation dominate the group, which makes the ascension of youth difficult, as they object to these ideas or to the continuation of the elderly in their positions, which contradicts the concept of pledging allegiance.

Pagan organization

Sheikh noted in statements to the Reference that the Brotherhood is afraid of renewal, fearing that they would be criticized for abandoning the principles of the first generation. He added that there is "organizational paganism" within the group, and that the lack of power rotation or clear criteria for advancement has caused a state of generational conflict, which is contrary to the religion that acknowledges consultation.