NEFA Foundation: Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri and "The Lions of Al-Azhar"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new video interview of Al-Qaida Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri produced by Al-Qaida's As-Sahaab Media Foundation and titled "The Lions of Al-Azhar." During the interview, al-Zawahiri called upon fellow Egyptians to observe a general strike in honor of besieged Palestinian Muslims in the Gaza Strip: "Our people and brothers in Egypt want the embargo on Gaza to be lifted, and I tell them that the lifting of the embargo is in your hands...And know that your remaining in your houses until the siege is lifted is a direct strike against Israel and a step towards the liberation of al-Aqsa. And I call on my brothers in the Islamic and Jihadi sites on the Internet to adopt this call and expand on it." Dr. al-Zawahiri was pointedly asked by the As-Sahaab interviewer about "a misconception which the media often repeats... the misconception that al-Qaida is an American creation which America financed and trained. What's your comment on that?" He responded simply, "My comment is the American Congress's official recognition of the falseness of the misconception in its report on the events of September 11th." When asked about the significance of the U.S. presidential elections, al-Zawahiri explained, "These elections confirm the extent of the American peoples' animosity to Islam and Muslims. Both candidates are competing to curry favor with Israel, and one of them believes that America must stay in Iraq until it eliminates all resistance there to the American Crusader project, while the other believes that they must pull out of Iraq in collusion with Iran in order to free themselves up to strike Afghanistan and eliminate all opposition there to the Western Crusader project. Thus, we are looking at a nation hostile to Islam. This is a fact from which we mustn't flee, lest we lose our way." In his concluding remarks, Dr. al-Zawahiri also appeared to offer some comment on the mysterious attacks and blackouts which have recently plagued Al-Qaida's principle Internet websites and forums-offering "a special greeting and message to the unknown soldiers on the frontlines of Jihadi media, whom I tell... now, after you have established your feet in the field of invitation and communication - in spite of the enemies of Islam - you must strive to raise the quality of your work, so that it appears in the best form and look its best. So you must develop further and raise the level of communication."

An English translation of the As-Sahaab interview with Dr. al-Zawahiri can be downloaded from the NEFA Foundation website.

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