The upheaval in the Arab world, especially the events in Tunisia and Egypt, both of which resulted in the resignations of these countries' leaders, is being followed closely by jihadi operatives, ideologues, and online supporters. The jihadists welcomed the ouster of president Hosni Mubarak, whom they considered a tyrant and apostate, and responded by discussing the role they are to play in Egypt's future. Their responses can be divided into two main categories: political-ideological and operational. The following report will address the operational opportunities the jihadists see in the new situation in Egypt.
Some in the global jihad movement consider the upheaval in Egypt an opportunity to promote global jihad and to elevate the war against the Arab regimes to a new level. Specifically, they consider the anarchy in Egypt to be a chance for jihad groups to establish a presence there, after a long absence of such groups following an extensive crackdown by the regime. The numerous jihad operatives reported to have been released from prison in the wake of Mubarak's ouster, as well as those rumored to have escaped in the midst of the chaos, may well avail themselves of this opportunity.[1]
More importantly, the global jihadists see the instability in Egypt as propitious to the establishment of operational jihad organizations, especially in rural areas, particularly the Sinai, in light of the security vacuum there resulting from the military's preoccupation with keeping general order.
ISI to Jihadists in Egypt: Jihad is Open for Business in Your Country
The global jihad movement's hopes to harness the upheaval in Egypt were expressed in an open letter from the Islamic State of Iraq's (ISI) so-called Ministry of War, the organization's operational wing, to jihadists in Egypt. In the letter, published on jihadi websites, the ISI appealed to jihadists and their sympathizers in Egypt, urging them to form jihad groups, choose leaders, and amass arms. The letter said that jihad is a duty incumbent on all Muslims: "Allah commanded his monotheist worshippers [to wage] jihad for his sake... In the ummah's current state, fighting the enemies of Allah and supplying [the mujahideen] with men and funds is incumbent upon every capable man among you. Jihad is open for business... in your country, and the gates of martyrdom are open... Know that the one who is strong and armed is the one whose voice will be heard above all others..."[2]Some in the global jihad movement consider the upheaval in Egypt an opportunity to promote global jihad and to elevate the war against the Arab regimes to a new level. Specifically, they consider the anarchy in Egypt to be a chance for jihad groups to establish a presence there, after a long absence of such groups following an extensive crackdown by the regime. The numerous jihad operatives reported to have been released from prison in the wake of Mubarak's ouster, as well as those rumored to have escaped in the midst of the chaos, may well avail themselves of this opportunity.[1]
More importantly, the global jihadists see the instability in Egypt as propitious to the establishment of operational jihad organizations, especially in rural areas, particularly the Sinai, in light of the security vacuum there resulting from the military's preoccupation with keeping general order.
ISI to Jihadists in Egypt: Jihad is Open for Business in Your Country
Sheikh Abu Walid Al-Maqdisi: Form Military Groups in Sinai and Upper Egypt
In a fatwa published on the jihadi website Minbar Al-Tawhid Wal Jihad, Abu Walid Al-Maqdisi, a prominent Salafi-jihadist cleric and head of the Gaza-based Jama'at Al-Tawhid Wal Jihad, advised Salafi-jihadists in Egypt to join ranks under a unified jihad organization, in order to take on a leading role in shaping events in the country. Furthermore, he urged jihadists in Egypt to take advantage of the security lapse caused by the political upheaval in the country, and to establish operational jihad groups in Sinai and Upper Egypt. It should be noted that in the past, Abu Walid Al-Maqdisi and other prominent figures have repeatedly voiced the opinion that a jihad front can and should be established only where an organized jihad group with a strong military and religious leadership already exists. Following are excerpts from the fatwa:
"We must take the initiative and keep abreast of the events. This is an opportunity that might never come again... The only way for the monotheists [i.e., the Salafi-jihadists] to [play a leading role in Egypt's future] is to assemble as one group, unite, and meld together, so that they can lead and direct the [Egyptian] masses, rather then be led and directed by them. [The monotheists] must hurry and seize the opportunity before it is too late, and not stand by idly waiting to see how the events will develop.
"This can only be achieved through organized collective work. If it is too hard [at present] to carry this matter out on a wide scale – as we would have it – [then] a small number of youth and scholars, if they arrange themselves and coordinate between them, will soon be capable of leading hundreds. This [needs to be done in the central areas of Egypt], notwithstanding the role of devoted Muslims in other areas, such as the Sinai and Upper Egypt, who can close ranks in an organized manner and on a larger scale. They need to organize their ranks militarily and powerfully – taking advantage of the current security lapse, [which enables] them to carry these activities out freely – so that, in the future, they will be able to topple the entire tyrant's regime.
"I urge Egypt's righteous and devoted sheikhs to rise up from their slumber and take action toward leading the young masses. The people have started to act, and [the sheikhs] must take advantage of this. The revolution is a popular one, and has swept the masses. This is not the revolution of any one sector...
"It will not do the monotheist brothers any good to continue following and watching [the events] on television or the internet, without taking a significant role [in them]. This is not what is expected of them. They are the ummah's hope for the future... Do not disappoint the ummah's hope in you."[3]
Online Jihadi Cleric: Follow the Example of Al-Zarqawi in Iraq
In a Q&A session, Sheikh Hussein bin Mahmoud, a prominent cleric who writes often on the jihadi forums, recommended that the mujahideen begin establishing a clandestine presence in Egypt:
"Q: [What is your stance regarding the] calls for the announcement of an Al-Qaeda branch in Egypt?"
"A: We have been dreaming of this for a long time. However, it is my view that such an announcement should not [yet] be made. Instead, the brothers should assemble and organize their ranks, and prepare inconspicuously. This is what Emir [Abu Mus'ab] Al-Zarqawi did in Iraq, at the beginning of the war there: he entered Iraq and began organizing the ranks of the mujahideen, gained supporters, and carried out high quality operations, and only then was the announcement [of an Al-Qaeda branch] made.
"[The mujahideen in Egypt] should do what they need to do covertly, at least for the time being. Perhaps the first thing they should do is launch attacks on the prisons and release [their] prisoners, and then eliminate the heads of the intelligence services and the officers who tortured [these] Muslim prisoners and defiled their honor, in order to make an example of them to others."[4]
Prominent Writer on Jihadi Forum: "Your Revolution will Persevere Only on the Fields of Jihad"
A prominent writer on the Shumukh Al-Islam forum going by the name Al-Mu'taz Bidin Allah Al-Mahdi explained the opportunity the jihadists see in the events in Egypt:
"O my rebellious ummah,... your sons, the bearers of the torch of monotheism, the mujahideen in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Caucasus, Nigeria, and Al-Sham have paved the path of glory with their pure souls, and lit the path for those who want the best of this world and the hereafter. They have proven that the only way to achieve security, an honorable life, glory, victory, and strength is jihad for the sake of Allah. The revolution and its torch of sacrifice have brought forth courage and boldness, opened the gates of sacrifice and martyrdom, and broken the shackles of fear and submission...
"Great missions and challenges lay ahead of us that demand we leave the squares of the revolution, and hurry to the fields of jihad. The goal that motivated you in Qasrin, Tallah, Suez, and Cairo is the very same goal that motivated your leaders and sons, and those who care about you most, the lions of monotheism and the knights of shari'a... Your revolution for freedom, honor, and an honorable life, if it is sincere, will persevere only on the fields of jihad..."[5]
Endnotes:
[1] A member of the Shumukh Al-Islam forum calling himself Silsilat Al-Tajdid, for instance, reported that Egyptian authorities had released several "lions of Al-Qaeda." He also supplied the names of those released, but these were later erased by the website's administrators. An Egyptian daily reported that 109 prisoners from Salafi organizations, among them Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiyya, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad and others. See JTTM Report, Egypt Releases over 100 Members of Islamist and Jihadist Organizations; Member on Jihadi Website: Over 70 Al-Qaeda Fighters Were Released, February 20, 2011.
[2] See JTTM Report, ISI Message to Egyptians: Wage Jihad, February 9, 2011.
[3] Minbar Al-Tawhid Wal Jihad, February 22, 2011.
[4] Shumukh Al-Islam, February 16, 2011.
[5] Shumukh Al-Islam, February 15, 2011.
