Ennhada abandons Qatar's sinking ship: experts

CAIRO – 4 August 2017: Tunisian Ennhada leader Rached Ghannouchi called for the separation of all Muslim Brotherhood branches from the international organization, Islamic movements expert Gamal al-Menshawy told Egypt Today.

Al-Menshawy stressed Ennhada had cut ties with the international organization of the Brotherhood, although they share the same ideologies and intellectual beliefs, adding that Ennhada was eager to sever ties with Qatar, including Qatari financial funding, which may hold the movement accountable before the Tunisian law.

The Muslim Brotherhood branch in Tunisia has officially given up on Qatar, Ennhada Movement spokesman Emad Al-Khomairi declared in June.

He announced that Ennhada will not support Qatar against the other Arab nations, but will instead remain neutral.

Khomairi told Shams FM radio station that the movement will not contradict the official stance of the Tunisian government, and its stance will remain in coherence with the Tunisian high interests.

“Ennhada is a participant in the ruling regime, so the state foreign policy must not be a controversial or a disputing issue among the political parties,” Khomairi explained.
He noted that Ennhada stressed that disputes in the Arab Gulf may harm Arab interests, and he urged them all to opt for dialogue. “Democracy never witnesses disputes over diplomatic and foreign issues,” he asserted.

In his interview with Tunisian Nesma TV, Ghannouchi affirmed that “Ennhada is not a part of the so-called political Islam current.”

In June 2016, a leaked message from Ghannouchi was revealed by Al-Hayat newspaper, which was directed to the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood during their meeting in Istanbul titled "Thank you, Turkey!". The meeting was not attended by Ghannouchi.

The beginning of the message was important and crucial, as it said, "No health reasons or other reasons prevented my presence, but I see day after day that the moment of separation between you and me is at hand. I am a Tunisian Muslim; Tunisia is my homeland, and I believe that nationalism is important and fundamental and articulated. I will not allow anyone to take off my Tunisian identity; I will not accept any aggression against Tunisia.”

The opening of the message revealed the true separation and split from the group, and the gravity of the statement is within the phrases mentioned in this part of the speech, which confirm the fact that the group's approach focuses on "internationalism" and the non-recognition of patriotism/nationalism, but rather denying it.

In one of his remarks during a meeting with the Iranian ambassador in 2012 in Tunisia, Ghannouchi said, "Imam Khomeini is one of the greatest reformers in modern history, and the Iranian Islamic Revolution made its way firmly under the leadership of the leader of the revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei."