In late January, the world was transfixed by the unrest in Egypt during which a number of political players emerged to represent protesters. One of these groups was the Muslim Brotherhood, the world’s oldest and largest Islamic organization.

The Brotherhood remains the largest opposition group in the country and has conflicted with Western colonial powers and secular Arab governments in the past. The organization itself condemns violence, but several of its splinter groups are linked to terrorism, and the ideology of Sayyid Qutb, a prominent member of the Brotherhood in the 1950s and 1960s, influenced the foundation of Al-Qaeda.

Despite it’s unrivaled ability to organize within Egypt, the Brotherhood kept a relatively low profile during the protests leading to President Mubarak’s departure. Still, some political analysts are concerned that the Muslim Brotherhood “could hijack Egypt’s pro-democracy movement” as the country rebuilds.

So what is the current position of the organization, and what is its future? Using Recorded Future’s timeline tool, we can visualize quotations related to the Muslim Brotherhood over the rest of 2011.

Future Facing Statements Regarding the Muslim Brother - Click for Live Timeline

The commentary seems to focus on how a hurried electoral process may bring the Muslim Brotherhood to despite the organization itself saying it won’t offer a candidate in September presidential elections and multiple analysts suggesting the Brotherhood is taking a moderate path. However, there are factions inside of the Brotherhood that could change its course.

Muslim Brotherhood Quotations

Items of interest:

• The Brotherhood appears to be launching its own satellite TV channel in April called Jihad is Our Way . Satellite TV is a very popular medium in the Middle East and could substantially increase the Brotherhood’s audience. This will allow it to broadcast its message to even more people in the region.

• The youth faction of the Brotherhood appears to be dissatisfied with the way in which the MB handled the Egyptian protests. It appears that there is a rift forming within the organization that could split it in two. The younger faction believes their leaders are not in political harmony with the people that protested in Tahrir Square.

Conclusion

The Brotherhood at the moment appears to be pursuing a moderate political path. It has not indicated a desire to obtain absolute power or implement Sharia law in Egypt as some analysts feared. Still, it remains a very important player in the region and the new satellite channel may broaden its influence.

The situation in Egypt has become more chaotic in recent days, which the Brotherhood could leverage for more power. A separate concern is that the Brotherhood in Egypt may splinter into different factions the the coming weeks.

There is a organizational rift between young and old members that threatens to split the Brotherhood apart. Such an event would not bode well for stability in Egypt, and although it might weaken the Brotherhood temporarily, internal factionalism could lead to the formation of radical splinter groups. The current moderate path by the Brotherhood may be the most stabilizing.

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