Following Osama bin Laden’s assassination and Al-Qaeda’s decision to appoint Ayman al-Zawahiri its next leader, Egypt’s Islamist groups anticipate the terrorist organization’s policies and ideology will continue as before.
“Al-Zawahiri was the second man in the organization,” said Essam Derbala, head of Jama’a al-Islamiya’s Shura Council. “And he is determined to fight the injustice of the United States.”
The group’s spokesman, Assem Abdel Maged, said, “Al-Zawahiri’s ideology and his belief in armed resistance of Western domination is a continuation of bin Laden’s thoughts. It is normal that he should lead the organization.”
Leading figure of the Jihad group, Alaa Eddin Sheta, said Zawahiri was chosen from among four other candidates for the position.
Ammar Ali Hassan, an expert on Islamic movements, agreed that Zawahiri would continue on the same path as his predecessor.
“You could tell from his speeches,” he said.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
