Gulf media is reporting that Kemal Al-Helbawi, the former official spokesperson of the Muslim Brotherhood in the West, has resigned from the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood following the group’s decision to nominate a presidential candidate. According to a Gulf News report:
In a sign of his opposition to the candidacy decision, Kamal Al Helbawi, a veteran member of the Brotherhood, has announced his departure from the group. “The Muslim Brotherhood seems to follow in the footsteps of the former [Mubarak] regime in monopolising all powers in the country,” Al Helbawi told private Egyptian channel Dream TV. Observers expect more to defect.”
According to his resume, Helbawi is the former official spokesperson of the Muslim Brotherhood in the West, one of the founders of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), and one of the founders of the Muslim Council of Britain, a U.K. umbrella organization comprised largely of Muslim Brotherhood organizations. He is currently the director of the London-based Center for the Study of Terrorism (CFSOT) which purports to be a think-tank describing itself as follows:
…an independent research and consultancy organisation, dedicated to the in-depth study of Islamic resurgence, democratisation and extremism in the Muslim world. Working with high-quality primary sources, CFSOT delivers unique information and analysis to its clients. The centre publishes a monthly journal and provides training and courses on terrorism-related issues as well as bespoke consultancy services.
A post from April 201 reported that Helbawy (aka Helbawi) had returned to Egypt after 23 years of “voluntary exile” in the UK. Other previous posts have discussed some of Helbawi’s more incendiary statements including that the “Zionist Movement” obeys the orders of a single official and praising Osama Bin Laden as a “leader of Jihad.”