The British government’s decision to support the formation of the Muslim Brotherhood’s government in Egypt in 2012 has led to London now facing a dilemma over how it deals with the Islamist movement.
On one level, a number of senior UK officials still view the Brotherhood as a benign organisation that, given a fair wind, could form a moderate government based on Islamic values.
But there is also a considerable body of sceptics at the heart of Whitehall’s security and intelligence establishment who take a more jaundiced view of the Brotherhood. At best, they see it as an organisation that supports the more radical streams of Islamist ideology that lie behind the recent terrorist attacks in London and Manchester. At worst, they see it as a point of entry for impressionable young people to become active converts to terrorism.
Qatar’s continued support for the Muslim Brotherhood lies at the heart of the diplomatic rift between Doha and the quartet of Arab states. Britain’s ambivalent position towards the the Brotherhood has the potential to cause friction between London and its long-standing allies in the Gulf.
The dispute over Britain’s ambiguous attitude towards the Brotherhood dates back to the Arab uprisings in 2011, when David Cameron, then Britain's prime minister, took the decision to back the overthrow of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, who had been a loyal ally of Britain and the West for three decades. Mr Cameron, in common with many other western leaders, was hood-winked by the protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square into believing Mr Mubarak’s removal from power would lead to a more accountable and democratic system of government.
Instead, it led to the Muslim Brotherhood seizing power and implementing a brutal regime, which saw thousands of innocent civilians killed and injured as it sought to implement its uncompromising Islamist agenda.
I was personally made aware of the naivety of the British government’s approach towards the Brotherhood at a subsequent meeting with Mr Cameron, during which he told me that, as Egypt was predominantly a Muslim country, he thought it was about time it had a Muslim government.
This was certainly not the view held by many of Britain’s close allies in the region, and Saudi and the UAE in particular complained that Britain had allowed the Brotherhood to establish a base in London from which, after its success in forming a government in Egypt, it sought to spread its toxic ideology further afield.
Since the overthrow of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood government, the country, led by Abdel Fattah El Sisi, has joined its Arab allies in outlawing the Brotherhood and accusing it of links to terrorism. The Muslim Brotherhood denies this, saying it is a peaceful political movement.
Now the dispute between the quartet of Arab states and Qatar has yet again raised questions about Britain’s future relationship with the Brotherhood, with many senior Gulf diplomats actively lobbying Britain's foreign office to formally denounce the movement as a terrorist organisation, and close down its activities in London.
Many senior security officials in London now concede that the British government needs to reappraise its position towards the Brotherhood.
The last time Britain examined the issue was when Sir John Jenkins, a former UK ambassador to Saudi Arabia, headed an inquiry into the Brotherhood. But his report, which was published in 2015, was inconclusive, and said it found no direct links between the Brotherhood and radical Islam, even though it conceded that membership of the Brotherhood could be considered a “possible indicator of extremism”, and that the group had been a “rite of passage” for some members.
But a great deal more evidence has now become available concerning the Brotherhood’s links with Islamist terror groups, such as Hamas and Hizbollah, which are both deemed to be terror organisations by Britain.
A detailed report, called The Muslim Brotherhood: A Failure in Political Evolution, published this week by Dr Nawaf Obaid, a visiting fellow at Harvard's highly-respected Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs, also highlights the Brotherhood's support for Islamist-inspired terrorism. In a damning summary of the movement's activities, Dr Obaid denounces the Brotherhood as "an oppositionist movement that does not represent a sustainable form of governance, offers little in the way of social or economic programmes, and some of its members have carried out and supported political violence and jihadist terror."
If these are the type of conclusions that experts in the region are reaching about the Brotherhood, then the time has definitely come for the British government to fully evaluate the threat the Muslim Brotherhood poses to the stability both of the Arab world and its allies.
Con Coughlin is the Telegraph’s Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor
Oppenheimer
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The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
John Cena v Triple H
Matches to be announced
WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Biography
Her family: She has four sons, aged 29, 27, 25 and 24 and is a grandmother-of-nine
Favourite book: Flashes of Thought by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Favourite drink: Water
Her hobbies: Reading and volunteer work
Favourite music: Classical music
Her motto: I don't wait, I initiate
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.4-litre%2C%20twin-turbo%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eeight-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E617hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E750Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh630%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Without Remorse
Directed by: Stefano Sollima
Starring: Michael B Jordan
4/5
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
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%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20flag%20was%20first%20unveiled%20on%20December%202%2C%201971%2C%20the%20day%20the%20UAE%20was%20formed.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIt%20was%20designed%20by%20Abdullah%20Mohammed%20Al%20Maainah%2C%2019%2C%20an%20Emirati%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMr%20Al%20Maainah%20said%20in%20an%20interview%20with%20%3Cem%3EThe%20National%3C%2Fem%3E%20in%202011%20he%20chose%20the%20colours%20for%20local%20reasons.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20black%20represents%20the%20oil%20riches%20that%20transformed%20the%20UAE%2C%20green%20stands%20for%20fertility%20and%20the%20red%20and%20white%20colours%20were%20drawn%20from%20those%20found%20in%20existing%20emirate%20flags.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Third Test
Result: India won by 203 runs
Series: England lead five-match series 2-1
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Four%20scenarios%20for%20Ukraine%20war
%3Cp%3E1.%20Protracted%20but%20less%20intense%20war%20(60%25%20likelihood)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E2.%20Negotiated%20end%20to%20the%20conflict%20(30%25)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E3.%20Russia%20seizes%20more%20territory%20(20%25)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E4.%20Ukraine%20pushes%20Russia%20back%20(10%25)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EForecast%20by%20Economist%20Intelligence%20Unit%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company name: Play:Date
Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Cofe
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 80-100
Amount raised: $13m
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
