11 - 17 October 2001
Issue No.555
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 11 - 17 October 2001 Issue No.555 |
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Non-violent anger
While condemning the US/British strikes against Afghanistan, Egyptian Islamists seem unlikely to respond to Bin Laden's call for jihad, reports Jailan Halawi
The launch of the US-led retaliatory strikes against targets in Afghanistan on 7 October have triggered Islamists' warnings that such actions will only lead to more terrorism.
The banned Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement to this effect on 8 October, in which it strongly denounces any and all forms of assault on innocent people. "While we condemn the 11 September attacks against the United States, we similarly denounce those launched against the innocent Afghan people," the statement said. "These attacks will only worsen the conditions of the Afghans and lead to the destruction of a complete nation."
Echoing this view, Essam El-Erian, a high profile Muslim Brotherhood member, condemned the US attack on Afghanistan, describing it as "an unfair assault on innocent, unarmed people."
El-Erian criticised the US policy of taking unilateral decisions concerning the future of other countries, alluding to a statement made earlier by US President George Bush in which he stated that countries of the world were either "with us or with the terrorists."
He believes the US has an open agenda of targeting Arab and Muslim countries perceived as hosting terrorism. "I'm afraid this only means we are approaching an era of American terrorism," he said.
El-Erian called upon Arab and Muslim nations to unite and asked the US to immediately end its aggression on Afghanistan. "It is only by uniting our stand that America might reconsider its foreign policies," he said.
Sheikh Mahmoud Ashour, deputy of the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, said, "We denounce all forms of terrorism. Any act of aggression against innocent civilians is vehemently condemned." According to Ashour, the US should have chased, arrested and tried the parties responsible for the 11 September attack, instead of killing innocent civilians.
In an astonishing response to the US attacks, Bin Laden released a pre-recorded video tape in which he called on all Muslims to support resistance and fight against the "infidels."
"Every Muslim must rise to defend his religion. The winds of faith and change are blowing to remove evil from the Peninsula of Mohamed, Peace Be Upon Him," Bin Laden declared in the statement broadcast by Al-Jazeera, the Qatari- based Arabic satellite channel.
The significance of these words is anyone's guess. Is it a general call on Muslims to join Bin Laden and his troops in their Jihad against the US? Is it a direct order for his followers to launch retaliatory attacks around the world?
Since the attacks on Afghanistan, the US has warned its citizens to keep a low profile. US embassies and many American companies around the world have put contingency plans into effect, limiting travel and tightening security.
The US State Department spokesman in Washington said the department and embassies around the world were on high alert. It advised Americans abroad to "monitor the local news, maintain contact with the nearest American embassy or consulate and limit their movement in their respective locations."
A top Egyptian security official, speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly on customary condition of anonymity, described Bin Laden's statement as "an open command to his aides to launch retaliatory actions against US citizens and interests worldwide."
Extra troops have been deployed by the government to guard foreign embassies in Cairo, especially those of the US and Israel, and the home of the Israeli ambassador in the Cairo suburb of Maadi.
Assuring that security measures all over the country have been stepped up and all forces were being kept on maximum emergency alert, the source said it was unlikely that any major attack would be carried out in Egypt.
In an interview with the Weekly, Maj Gen Serag El-Roubi, former deputy chief of the International Police Organisation, Interpol, said that "the Egyptian security forces have come a long way towards enhancing their abilities and have greatly improved their capacity to abort any terrorist attempt." He said it was very unlikely the terrorist militants would carry out any major attacks. "They can plan whatever they like, but they cannot execute," he said.
El-Roubi pointed out that Egypt has managed, in its long fight against terrorism, to curtail the capabilities of the few numbers of suspected militants who are still at large by cutting off their sources of finance, armament and communication with their expatriate counterparts.
Montasser El-Zayyat, lawyer of the underground Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiya, said that although the group's leaders condemn the US attacks on Afghanistan, they are committed to the 1997 unilateral cease-fire call which halted all their operations in Egypt.
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