Initiative to Stop the Violence: Sadat’s Assassins and the Renunciation of Political Violence

182 Pages·2015·0.67 MB·English

by  al-Gama'ah al-Islamiyah

Initiative to Stop the Violence
World Thought in Translation
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Series editors
Steven Angle
Karuna Mantena
Andrew March
Paulina Ochoa
Ian Shapiro
Initiative to
Stop the Violence
Muba¯darat Waqf al-‘Unf
Sadat’s Assassins and the Renunciation
of Political Violence
al-Gam¯a‘ah al-Isl¯am¯ıyah
Translated by Sherman A. Jackson
New Haven and London
This publication was made possible in part by a grant from the Carnegie
Corporation of New York. The statements made and views expressed are
solely the responsibility of the author. English translation and introduction
copyright © 2015 by Sherman A. Jackson. All rights reserved. This book
may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any
form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S.
Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written
permission from the publishers. Originally published by Obeikan Publishing
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hāfiz, Usāmah Ibrāhīm.
[Mubadārat waqf al-‘unf. English]
Initiative to stop the violence : Sadat’s assassins and the renunciation of
political violence / al-Gamā‘ah al-Islāmīyah ; translated by Sherman Jackson.
pages cm. — (World thought in translation)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-300-19677-1 (hardback)
1. Peace—Religious aspects—Islam. 2. Jihad. 3. Gama’a al-Islamiyah
(Organization) I. Gama’a al-Islamiyah (Organization) II. Title.
BP190.5.P34H3413 2014
363.3250962'09046—dc23
2014014245
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992
(Permanence of Paper).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To the Michigan Community,
With deeply cherished memories and eternal thanks
He responded, “I did that while I
was among those who are misguided.”
(26:20)
Contents
Preface, ix
Acknowledgments, xi
Introduction by Sherman A. Jackson, 1
Initiative to Stop the Violence: A Reality-Based Assessment
and a Shar¯ı‘ah-Based Approach, 51
Introduction, 51
Chapter One: The Commonweal and Communal Harm, 56
Chapter Two: A Reality-Based Assessment, 70
Chapter Three: Correcting Misunderstandings, 78
Conclusion, 113
Appendix, 115
Notes, 123
Index, 157
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Preface
The tumultuous events that have gripped Egypt since the Janu-
ary 2011 revolution have raised many questions. Among the most
disquieting has been whether the country would be thrown back
into the kind of Islamist violence it experienced during the 1980s
and 1990s. Those decades were the “heyday” of the notorious al-
Gama¯‘ah al-Isla¯mīyah, and from the time they declared their de-
cision to renounce political violence in 1997 (the subject of this
book) suspicions regarding their sincerity have ebbed and flowed.
But if ever there were circumstances that might reinstate violence
as their primary medium of exchange, the chaos, brutality, and di-
rect targeting of Islamists following the July 2013 ousting of pres-
ident Mohammed Morsi would certainly seem to qualify. Yet,
through all of this, the Gama¯‘ah has maintained its commitment
to nonviolence, and its public statements and gestures suggest an
ideological resolve to stay the course.
For weeks following the bloody removal of pro-Morsi supporters
from Ra¯bi‘ah al-‘Adawīyah square in August of 2013, the Gama¯‘ah’s
official website streamed the following: “Stopping bloodshed is the
religious obligation of our time and the form of religious devo-
ix