Muslim Brotherhood figures who leave Qatar likely to travel to Malaysia, says daily

Members of the Muslim Brotherhood facing expulsion from Qatar are likely to travel to Malaysia as many have already obtained visas or residency permits to the country, pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat reported.

Secretary-general of the International Muslim Brotherhood Organization Ibrahim Mounir told the paper he expected most of the members to head to Malaysia or Turkey as many of them already had the requisite documents.

“[This] will make their living or residing there an easy matter,” Ibrahim was quoted as saying.

Ibrahim also told Asharq Al-Awsat that some of the expelled members could head to London but added that it was unlikely “unless they had already obtained the necessary paperwork to enter and reside in [the country]”.

Seven senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood were asked on Saturday to leave the country following months of pressure on the Gulf Arab state from its neighbours to stop backing the Islamists.

“To lift the embarrassment for the state of Qatar, which we found hospitable, some of the symbols of the Muslim Brotherhood who have been asked to move their residency outside the state have agreed,” Reuters quoted senior Brotherhood figure Amr Darrag as saying on his Facebook page.

However, Ibrahim had earlier told Reuters that the departures did not mean a rupture in ties between Qatar and the Brotherhood.

“The Qatari authorities told the Brotherhood they are facing pressure and circumstances would not allow the presence of all these Brotherhood figures in Doha,” he said.

On Monday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey would welcome the Muslim Brotherhood members who were asked to leave Qatar.

Qatar and Turkey were the only regional countries to back the Brotherhood after Egypt's army toppled Islamist President Mohamed Morsi last year following mass protests against him.

Egypt has declared the Brotherhood a terrorist movement although the Brotherhood says it is a peaceful group.

Asharq Al-Awsat cited Egyptian Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim who told a press conference on Sunday that Egypt would contact Interpol regarding the members as some of them were still wanted in Egypt in connection with a number of criminal cases.

Meanwhile, an Egyptian security source who requested anonymity told the daily that Egypt would “use Red notices [international arrest warrants] for these wanted individuals, and... we have already informed Interpol about their names... so they can be arrested once they are moving between countries.”

- TMI