‘Jihadi Salafism’ in Egypt: The root of armed violence

By Mohamed Mansour

Pro-Jihad Salafists define themselves as the followers of a “righteous doctrine” in Islam. They claim that they adopt teachings of Prophet Muhammad’s, the companions and followers, believing that Jihad is “one of main pillars of Islam” to misuse it against the regimes of all Islamic countries.

“Jihadi Salafism” is seen by those people as a dynamic approach and a tool for change. The pro-Jihad Salafists consider themselves as the “true Salafists,” unlike other Salafi people, who reject armed violence.

In his book “Disagreement among Islamists,” author and researcher Ahmed Salem demonstrates that pro-Jihad Salafists believe that the Jihad is the ideology of the Salafism not a mere branch in the jurisprudence of Islam. They do not know that Salafism is an approach taught in jurisprudence and in all Sharia branches.

The author notes that anti-violence Salafists of Egypt reject referring the term of “Jihadi Salafists” to the armed groups, saying that using such term distorts the image and the real concept of Salafism, which calls mercifully for Islam and teaches sharia sciences.

Emergence of jihadi Salafism

It is believed by some authors and researchers that the term of “Jihadi Salafism”emerged as a result of intensified activities carried out by those who use violence as a means of change in the first half of 20th Century.

Such definition is applied to the group of “Muhammad’s Youth” movement, which was founded by a group of youth who dissented from the Muslim Brotherhood in 1939. Also, al-Gamaa al-Islamiyya members could labeled as “Jihadi Salafists;” it emerged in early 1970s and carried out a number of terrorist attacks such as assassination of later President Anwar Sadat in 1981.

However, other authors say that the Jihadi Salafism became known with the emergence of other jihadist groups over the past 30 years. These groups were ideologically affected by al-Qaeda militant group.

Meanwhile, the third opinion sees that the first person who used the term of “jihadi Salafism” is Abdullah Azzam, the founding member of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union in 1987. He used the term to mass and “unify” Arab and non-Arab Salafists against the Soviet Union.

According to “Disagreement among the Islamists,”  there are five armed groups emerged in the late 1960s and represent the jihadist Salafism. The first is the group of Maadi, which was founded in 1966 under the leadership of Ismail al-Tantawi. Its members included Ayman al-Zawahiri, current leader of al-Qaeda group,  Nabil al-Borai, Elwi Mustafa, Mohammed Abdul Rahim Al-Sharqawi, and Issam Al-Qamri.

The second group was founded in Alexandria in 1968. Its members included Talal al-Ansari, Hani Abdel-Maqsoud and Hasan al-Suhaimi. The group was involved in a military coup attempt against late President Anwar Sadat. The coup, was plotted under leadership of Palestinian member of the Muslim Brotherhood Saleh Saria, and dubbed as “Technical Military Coup.”

The third group was founded in Giza and included Hassanal-Helawy, Mustafa Youssri, Abdel-Fattah al-Zeini. Meanwhile, the fourth group included the Jordanian Salem el-Rahal and Kamal al-Sayyed Habib. Meanwhile, the fifth group was founded by Abdel-Salam Farag and its members include Tarek al-Zomor and his cousin Aboud al-Zomor.

Zawahiri’s Sedition

In his book “The Absent Sedition.. the Jihadi Group in Egypt”, author Kamal Habib indicates that Ayman al-Zawahiri’s group is the founder of  “Jihadi Salafism”. The group inspired by Islamist groups of Ansar al-Sunnah al-Muhammadiyah, quoting religious old books by Ibn al-Qayyim and Ibn Taymiyah to justify their deeds. The militant group also believes that radical change is the only way to apply Islam.

Al-Zawahiri, in the book called “Acquittal”, says the jihadist movement based on teachings which were brought by the Prophet Muhammad’s companions and followers.

After the 2011 January revolution, other figures with political background emerged in Egypt. Those members live outside Egypt, including Ahmad Ashush, Jalal Abu-Fattouh, Mohammed al-Zawahiri, Jihad Munir, Dawood Khairi, Mohamed Hijazi, Morjan Salem, Abu Ayman Al Masri, Tariq Abdul Halim- the Director of Dar AlArqam Center in Canada, and Hani Al-Sibai, the Director of Al-Maqrizi Center for Historical Studies in London.

Media platforms were created to serve the Jihadi Salafism groups, such as Da’wah al-Ḥaqq Foundation for Studies and Research, the Al Tawhid and Jihad Platform, Al-Faruq Media Production Foundation, the Global Jihad Network, the Islamic Movement for the Implementation of Sharia and the Mujahideen Blog in Egypt.

Religiou old books Jihadi Salafists’ ideology depend on include al-‘Umda fi I’dad al-‘Udda (“The Essentials of Making Ready [for Jihad]”) by Sayyd Imam, The Absent Duty by Mohammed Abdel-Salam, al-Jāmiʻ fī ṭalab al-ʻilm al-sharīf, by Sayyed Imam, Jihad Document: the landmarks of the revolutionary work of Jihad, and Bitter Harvest by Ayman al-Zawahiri.