Various media are reporting denials by the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood of the reported move of the headquarters for its International Organization from London to Graz, Austria. The following Turkish Anadolu Agency report was cited yesterday by the Jerusalem Post and then deleted yesterday for unknown reasons:
April 14, 2014 CAIRO – The Muslim Brotherhood has no plans to relocate its office from Britain to Austria, according to a senior leader.
‘I cannot imagine or accept to leave Britain for any other country,’ Ibrahim Munir, the secretary-general of the international organization of the Muslim Brotherhood, told Anadolu Agency by phone from London.
The Daily Mail reported Sunday that the Muslim Brotherhood was preparing to move its headquarters to Austria in an ‘apparent attempt to avoid an inquiry into its activities set up by the Prime Minister.’
It said the Brotherhood had recently opened a new international office in Cricklewood, northwest London. According to the British daily, the Brotherhood had decided to transfer its base to Graz, Austria’s second city, after David Cameron announced a joint MI5 and MI6 investigation into its activities and membership.
Munir, however, dismissed the relocation report as ‘baseless’.
He said the decisions of the Muslim Brotherhood are not made in London.
‘The office is only a gathering place for members to meet and discuss strategies,’ added the senior Muslim leader.
He said the Brotherhood members enjoy freedom of movement in Britain and they have nothing to fear. ‘
We do not need to leave Britain because we have not committed a crime or violated the law,’ Munir asserted. ‘The authorities in Britain know this very well.’
He said the Brotherhood is ready to cooperate with British investigators.
Read the rest here.
Austrian German language media is reporting that the major Austrian political parties have expressed “immediate concern” while the national police directorate responsible for Graz announced “there is a rumor” but that they had “no confirmation or information that something is up.”
The GMBDW reported last week that according to an Egyptian media outlet, the International Organization of the Muslim Brotherhood had decided to transfer their offices to Graz, Austria and three other unidentified European cities following the announcement of an investigation into the Brotherhood’s activities in the UK. The GMBDW also noted that over the years, several important leaders of the Global Muslim Brotherhood had resided in Graz including Ayman Aly, formerly a top advisor to deposed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi.
The GMBDW reported earlier this week that Ibrahim Munir had warned that banning the Brotherhood in the UK would lead to an increased risk of terrorism. We also reported last week that Prime Minister David Cameron has ordered an inquiry into the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood in the United Kingdom For background on the International Organization Of The Muslim Brotherhood, go here.
For background on Ibrahim Munir, go here.
For background on the International Organization Of The Muslim Brotherhood, go here.
The GMBDW plans on posting an analysis of the Graz story in the coming days.