Ex-Egyptian Mufti Evades Assassination

On Friday, August 5th, former Egyptian Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa survived an assassination attempt.

According to Reuters’ security sources, while outside a mosque in a western Cairo suburb, the notable cleric was shot at by two masked gunmen who began to open fire on Gomaa amidst a crowd on their way to Friday prayer.

Following the attack, the Hazm group – a little known Egyptian terror group- claimed responsibility for the attempted assassination. Hazm has yet to be directly linked or affiliated with any terror group; however, its notoriety stems from its recent claim for killing of a police chief in Fayoum, Egypt earlier in July. Additionally, members of Hazm posted online photos and statements that likely demonstrate their responsibility for the attempt on Gomaa’s life.

The postings showed photographs of the two gunmen, in which they can be seen pointing their rifles from inside a garden, and revealed that the two assailants aborted the assassination effort after realizing how many civilians were surrounding Gomaa outside the Fadel Mosque.

The Interior ministry confirmed that the gunmen had been hiding inside a small park near the mosque prior to the attack, evidence that possibly validates the claims of Hazm and their online postings. Yet, no official suspects are in custody so far.

According to security reports, Sheikh Gomaa was not harmed during the attack; however, one of his bodyguards had been struck by a bullet in the leg. In statements to the local CBC network, the spiritual leader stated that it was not the first assassination attempt against him and that he has previously received death threats.

Sheikh Gomaa is known in the country as an outspoken critic of jihadist and Islamist groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, which formerly ran the country until a military coup ousted them in 2013.

Gomaa has previously issued religious edicts as well as issuing a non-binding opinions on all capital sentences that were aimed at combating the Muslim Brotherhood. Specifically, during the Egyptian revolution, he issued fatwas that enabled Muslims of Egypt to engage in a military crackdown on Mohammed Morsi. In response, the Brotherhood declared an open jihad on all infidels who supported the coup .

This fatwa was met with extreme criticism from the most important leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and chief jurist, Youssef Qaradawi, who called Gomaa “a slave of the police and those in power and stated, “if he, who has disobeyed the ruler, does not repent, then he must be killed.”

Friday’s event marks the first assassination attempt against a high-profile figure in the Egyptian capital this year. Prior to the attempt on Gomaa, the country’s top prosecutor had been assassinated by a car bomb in June of 2015. Following the judicial official’s death, Egyptian officials blamed the Muslim Brotherhood in coordination with Hamas.

The attempt on Gomaa’s life represents the still tumultuous nature of security in Egypt. The consistent threat of homegrown jihadist activity, coupled with the rising presence of Islamic State in Northern Sinai puts the security and political regime of Egypt under strain. As El Sisi battles, the entrenched  Islamic and Egyptian leaders will continue to face persecution at the hands of Islamist organizations, such as the Muslim Brotherhood.