Egypt’s Brothers settling old scores with Tunisian peers

Sara Rashad

The Egyptian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood nurtured ill feelings to the Tunisian branch of the organization.

These ill feelings emerged when Tunisian President Kais Saied froze the Tunisian parliament which was controlled by Ennahda Movement, the branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in Tunisia.

The suspension of the parliament was part of a series of measures that were taken on July 25.

Instead of solidarity, the Egyptian Brotherhood branch, especially its junior members, started settling old scores with their peers in Tunisia.

Mutual criticism

Junior Egyptian Brotherhood members focused on assessing the performance of the leader of the Brotherhood in Tunisia, Rached Ghannouchi.

They criticized his ways, reminding everybody of Ghannouchi’s criticism for the Egyptian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood for not using the same ways.

Ghannouchi always called for making concessions. He liked to masquerade as a moderate Islamist to win approval from secular state institutions.

He opted for peace with groups that rejected the Islamists by deceiving them and convincing them that his movement separates faith from politics.

Ghannouchi also tried to convince everybody that his movement does not aim at the creation of an Islamic caliphate.

Failed renaissance

The Tunisian model shows that the Muslim Brotherhood always throws its full backing behind the idea of establishing an Islamic caliphate.

Following the collapse of the Brotherhood project in Egypt, the Tunisian branch worked hard to prove that it is different and much more moderate and enlightened.

In 2013, Ghannouchi directed harsh criticism to the Egyptian branch of his organization.

He described it as ‘foolish’ and ‘greedy’. This folly, he said, was why Egyptians hated the Muslim Brothers in their country.