After severing diplomatic relations, will Qatar abandon the Muslim Brotherhood?

A state of fear has dominated the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), after the recent decision taken by a number of Arab countries to cut diplomatic relations with Qatar against the backdrop of Doha’s suspicious policies to support extremist groups, including the MB, and its interference in the internal affairs of its neighboring states.

The Brotherhood is still awaiting the Qatari response to the decision taken by these countries to know whether the Qataris are intending to escalate their position or abandon the group and other extremist groups.

Dissident member of the MB, Tariq Aboul Saad, said that the situation is extremely complicated during the current period, explaining that the Gulf’s tiny state will not tolerate the increasing pressure against it. He stressed that they will suspend their support for the MB to rid itself of the political isolation the Gulf state is in now.

He expects that Qatar’s government will ask members of the MB to leave the country as soon as possible and to turn to another country, including Sudan or Turkey, saying that the Qataris will give priority to their relation with Saudi Arabia at the expense of the Brotherhood.

The former leader of the MB said that the Qatari government will turn to Turkish-Iranian alliance in the beginning, and later return to Arab allies in the end. He added that Qatari interests contradict with Iranian ones.

He stressed that Qatar will not resume an escalation against Arab regional powers, saying that such an approach poises a serious threat against Qatari interests. He said that the Qatari government will not take aggressive actions against the Muslim Brotherhood or Hamas, but will prevent them from turning their territories into their platform. He said that Sudan could be the coming shelter stop for the leaders of the group who are currently taking shelter in Qatari territories.

He added that Sudan fears to face the same destiny of Qatar, while both Egypt and Saudi Arabia aspire to keep the leaders of the group in Sudan under control. He stressed that the Qatari government will turn to the U.S. administration to mediate between the tiny state and its neighboring countries.

On the other hand, dissident member of the MB, Sameh Eid, said that the relations between Qatar and the Brotherhood will be strongly affected by the recent developments, while the Qatari government will maintain relations with  the major leaders of the group, including Sheikh Yusuf Al Qaradawy and his friends. He stressed the strength of relation between Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood, saying that it would not be affected by the decisions to boycott the country.