JAFFA, Israel – Egyptian authorities have stepped up security measures ahead of Monday’s anniversary of the 2011 revolution that toppled the country’s president, Hosni Mubarak, as opposition groups call for rebellion.
Welayat Sinai, an Islamic State affiliate in the Egyptian-controlled Sinai peninsula, released a video calling on its supporters to “take up arms against the dictator,” referring to President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.
The video is narrated by Abu Usama al-Masri, who is a religious authority and chief of education of IS-Egypt. A few months ago, he claimed responsibility for the downing of a Russian Metrojet airliner over Sharm al-Sheikh on behalf of the jihadi organization.
In the video, entitled “A Second Message from Sinai,” al-Masri’s disguised voice calls on Egyptians not to give in to the regime’s intimidation techniques. “Our advice is that there is no other way but Allah’s,” he says.
The video takes a jab at the Muslim Brotherhood, showing its leader Mohammed Morsi, during his short presidency, meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Welayat Sinai also criticizes the Brotherhood’s call for nonviolent struggle, calling it “a liberal, secular and useless action plan that never prevented the killing of Muslims.”
“Learn from the past and stop trying to reach a compromise with tyranny,” the video urges its viewers. “Save yourselves, and regain your honor that was taken away from you. Avenge the blood of your sons and take up arms against the dictator and his cronies.”
The Egyptian regime “proves daily its loyalty to the Jews and hostility toward Islam,” the video says. “The only way to stand up to tyranny and heresy is by using force.”
The video, featuring footage from bombings carried out by the organization, claims responsibility for a string of attacks in Cairo, Giza, and Sinai. It ends with a plea to establish a caliphate in order to liberate Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.