A senior Muslim Brotherhood leader on Tuesday regretted a British review of the group's activities in Britain, reiterating the Brotherhood's opposition to violence and terrorism.
"Pressures from Egypt and the Gulf, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, prompted Prime Minister David Cameron to conduct a review of the Brotherhood's activities," Ibrahim Munir, a senior member of the international organization of the Muslim Brotherhood, told Anadolu Agency by phone from London.
"But we did not expect that a great democracy like Britain would bow to pressure from a country ruled by a coup and countries that support a coup against an elected president," he said.
Cameron has ordered an internal review of the Muslim Brotherhood's philosophy and activities.
The government said the review, led by British ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sir John Jenkins, seeks to understand the movement and its impact on British national security and London's interest in stability and prosperity in the Middle East.
"The Muslim Brotherhood has risen in prominence in recent years but our understanding of the organization – its philosophy and values – has not kept pace with this," a government spokesperson said in a statement mailed to AA.
"Given the concerns now being expressed about the group and its alleged links to violent extremism, it's absolutely right and prudent that we get a better handle of what the Brotherhood stands for, how they intend to achieve their aims and what that means for Britain," read the statement read.
-Confident-
The Muslim Brotherhood leader sounded confident the British government review will not condemn his group.
"The British authorities have the right to take all precautions to maintain their national security, but we're confident that the review will not find the Brotherhood guilty," Munir told AA.
"The British authorities know very well that the Brotherhood opposes violence and terrorism and does not support any act that might undermine national security," he said.
Since last summer's ouster of elected president Mohamed Morsi by the army, Egyptian authorities have mounted a harsh crackdown on the Brotherhood, killing hundreds of its members and jailing thousands.
The 85-year-old Islamist movement, which propelled Morsi to power in the 2012 presidential polls, has been labeled as a "terrorist group" by both Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Munir, however, dismissed the likelihood that the British government would follow suit.
"This is a democratic country; it isn't like Egypt and other Arab allies," he said.
"Britain won't take any such decision without an in-depth study and evidence against the Brotherhood, which will not happen," Munir added.
The senior Brotherhood leader also ruled out the possibility that movement leaders would leave Britain following news of the government review.
"This is a country of law and human rights. We have no intention to leave a country where we enjoying the freedom we did not find in our own country," he said.
By Islam Mosaad
