Rise to the abyss: Muslim Brotherhood & the Palace (2)

Historian Richard Mitchell accused the Brotherhood-trained scouts of acting as “the Palace’s bodyguards” and also accused the Brotherhood of receiving aid from minority parties and some of its leaders, in a support of the King and in opposition to Al-Wafd Party.

In a confrontation to these piercing criticisms, Umar al-Tilmisani[1] argued that “such a talk is skeptical and malicious”.  He described Brotherhood’s scouts saying “the scouts had its elegant and respected presence, and El-Banna wanted King Farouk to sense the power of the Brotherhood. El-Banna wanted the king to fathom –indirectly- that he had to turn away from the evils he was committed to, and the irresponsible behavior he was disposed to. “In Egypt, there are young people who are ready to protect their religion at all costs,” he emphasized.

Following his return from abroad in 1937, King Farouk was welcomed by the Brotherhood’s scouts in a wonderful reception which dazzled and impressed the king himself. In actuality, this reception was neither in homage nor salutation to the King; but rather, it was to let the King witness the power of the group and that it could do a lot”. (7)

In this same vein, El-Sayed Yusuf commented on the explanation presented by al-Tilmisani, saying “I do not know whether this defense has acquitted the Brotherhood or condemned them, it is closer to condemn than to defense, because he admitted the King’s evil behavior and at the same time the King was celebrated by Brotherhood’s scouts, and Brotherhood called him Emir of the believers and advocated for his ambition to rise to the post of Caliph.  He [al-Tilmisani] also admitted that their support to the King was a means to achieve their political ends; and it was by no means out of sincerity, but rather hypocrisy and deception; and at its worst, it was a cycle of menacing, terrorizing, and political blackmail.” (8)  

Some historians believe that the Brotherhood’s links with the Palace and its henchmen, particularly Ali Maher Pasha[2], was one of the prime reasons behind the group’s schism in 1939. This rift resulted in the formation of “Shabab Mohamed[3]” (Youth of Prophet Mohamed) whose dissenters refused to become putties in in the hands of Ali Maher in his opposition to Al-Wafd Party and support to the Palace. (9) 

The keenness of the Palace’s rapport with the Brotherhood reached an extent that the King sought to burnish his public image before the British authorities.  Hussein Serry Pasha[4], the then prime minister, took the initiative and sought to improve the Brotherhood’s image with the British authorities, which have found out later that Serry Pasha was doing so at the behest of King Farouk. (10)

When El-Banna was detained based on reports from the British Intelligence about the Brotherhood’s anti-British propaganda and their arrangements for sabotaging, vandalizing and wreaking havoc in British facilities across Egypt, the Parliament pushed by the Palace immediately sought to release El-Banna who was released less than a month after detention.

After his release, El-Banna ran amok, more free and hyperactive, traversing the country, admonishing his group and enjoying, to the exclusion of all other parties and groups, the values of freedom of movement, speech, and assembly.

“About the King’s assistance to the Brotherhood, the British Ambassador in Cairo said that the Royal Palace began to find the Brotherhood a useful instrument, and the King himself issued orders to the provincial directors (governors) not to interfere in the activities of the Brotherhood group.” (11)

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[1] . Umar al-Tilmisani (4 November 1904-22 May 1986) was the third General Guide (Murshid al-‘Am) of the Egyptian Muslim Brothers.

[2] . Ali Mahir Pasha (1882–1960), former prime minister of Egypt.

[3] . Founded by a group of Brotherhood leaders and youth who seceded from the Muslim Brotherhood group in 1939.

[4] . Hussein Serry Pasha (1894–1960) was an Egyptian politician. He served as Prime Minister of Egypt for three short periods.