Sheikh Muhammad Zawahiri also confirmed that his followers of the notorious al-Gama al-Islamiya—the “Islamic Group,” a terrorist organization famous for the 1997 Luxor Massacre, killing over 60 tourists—are going to be participating in this Friday’s “million man” march, stressing that they will not relent until the Military Council hands over all power.
Zawahiri was only recently acquitted and released from prison, where, since 1998, he was incarcerated “on charges of undergoing military training in Albania and planning military operations in Egypt.” Here’s a video of him just released from prison—to triumphant jihadi tunes; here’s another video where, surrounded by his followers, he praises jihad, calling all jihadis the “truest of Muslims.” Ironically, it was a military court that acquitted him—he was arrested and imprisoned under ousted president Hosni Mubarak—and now, predictably enough, he’s out to overthrow the military in order to transform Egypt into a Sharia state.
Like Ayman, his al-Qaeda brother, Muhammad once thought that only violence and jihad could empower Islamists; now he as well as countless other Islamists have learned that if they throw around some “democratic” slogans, participate in elections, and engage in peaceful protests, the world will ignore if not applaud them, even as their thoroughly jihadi slogans belie their true intent.
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