New Brotherhood society reaches out to ‘dovish’ members of mother group

AMMAN — The new Muslim Brotherhood (MB) Society on Thursday called on members of the “illegal” MB to join the licensed group due to the recent incidents that put the existence of the mother group on the line.

The call came as part of an initiative launched by Abdul Majeed Thneibat, the new society’s overall leader.

“We have already talked to some members of the [old] group and we are still waiting for their response,” Thneibat told The Jordan Times over the phone, adding that some already showed their interest in joining his group.

However, he stressed that the call is directed to the dovish members who are close to the new society, and not the hawkish leadership.

In a statement issued by the new Islamist entity, Thneibat said that those, who have followed the regional developments realise that the old tools of management adopted by the mother group are no longer workable.

These developments, he added, were noticed by those who sought to rectify the group’s legal position, which is the guarantee of sustainability and survival.

The statement launched on Thursday also noted that all those who join the licensed group should abide by the law and focus on national issues and local concerns.

If more members join the society, early elections to select members of the shura council will be held, according to the statement.

Two weeks ago, authorities cracked down on the old MB headquarters and their offices in several governorates.  This measure came in implementation of judicial rulings to transfer properties of the “unlicensed” MB to the rival splinter group that officially registered last year, according to officials.

The Muslim Brotherhood group was considered “illegal” after the registration of the society a year ago, following the first wave of defection within the movement, led by Thneibat, a former overall leader, whose group posed as the legitimate replacement of the mother group.