Libyan media is reporting that the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood has issued a protest against a list issued by the country’s parliament naming Qatari-linked Islamists as terrorists. According to the Libya Herald report, one of those named is an individual identified by the GMBDW in 2011 as a close associate of Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi:
June 11 The Justice & Construction party (J&C), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, has protested against a list issued by the House of Representatives (HoR) describing Qatar-linked Libyans as terrorists.
The list, signed by Talal Almaihub, chairman of the HoR’s defence and national security committee, includes J&C politicians and others believed to be Muslim Brotherhood leaders.
The J&C media office today described the HoR document as lies. ‘We have followed up a list which accuses some Libyan citizens of being terrorists including the chairman of the party Mohamed Sawan,’ it said adding,’We consider this as defamation and it encroaches on the rights of citizenship and judiciary authorities.’
The HoR terrorist list includes the J&C’s executive member Nizar Kawan and a major party donor, businessman Abdulrazaq Al-Aradi.
It also has Ali Salabi, the man considered to be the ideological brains of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Brotherhood’s current chairman Ahmed Abdullah Al-Suqi and its former head Bashir Al-Kebti.
Moreover, it includes public figures linked one way or another to the organisation such as the former deputy Prime Minister Awad Barasi and former deputy chairman of the National Transitional Council Ali Al-Aisawi.”
A list issued by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt on Friday also names Ali Salabi.
In September 2011, the GMBDW reported on what the the New York Times called the “growing influence of Islamists in Libya”, identifying Qatari Muslim Brotherhood figure Ali Sallabi (aka Ali Salabi). We had reported earlier that month on Ali Salabi and his association with Youssef Qaradawi.
The designation by the Libyan Parliament is no doubt one of the many developments taking place as a result of the June 5 move by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain to cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of destabilising the region with its support for Islamist groups. We reported earlier today on the decision by the Saudi Muslim World League (MWL) to terminate the membership of Youssef Qaradawi in its Fiqh Academy.
For analysis and background on the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood, go here and here.