In a sign of historic reconciliation, three Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiya leaders were released after 22 years behind bars. Jailan Halawi writes Demonstrating confidence in Al-Gama'a Al- Islamiya's renunciation of violence, Egypt released three of its so-called historic leaders. The three were active in instituting a six-year-old unilateral cease-fire and instrumental in spreading their pacifist ideas among fellow Al-Gama'a members. The release, due to the men having served out their sentences and no longer posing a security threat, is coloured by the government's amnesty programmes that coincided with the 30th anniversary of Egypt's victory against Israel. Significantly, the releases also coincided with the 22nd anniversary of President Anwar El- Sadat's assassination. It was for roles in this crime that the three men had been convicted. The first to be released was Al-Gama'a's leader, 51-year-old Karam , who devised the plan for Sadat's assassination. A week later, on Monday, 29 September, Fou'ad El-Dawalibi and Assem Abdel-Maged were also released. All had been serving 25 year life sentences, with nine months of imprisonment counted a year. Many press reports described the releases as a "shock". To other commentators, the move came as no surprise given the extensive media coverage the three men received almost a year ago for revising their ideology and sanctioning only peaceful methods. In 1997 Al-Gama'a's so-called historic incarcerated leaders announced a unilateral cease-fire that came into effect almost two years later. , El-Dawalibi and Abdel- Maged were among the most active in promoting the initiative among their fellow Al- Gama'a inmates. After announcing their ideological revision earlier this year -- which included criticism of Al-Qae'da's leadership and a retraction of Al- Gama'a's violent approach to spreading their "call" -- Al-Gama'a's jailed leaders also apologised for assassinating President El-Sadat, referring to him as a "martyr". The apology was issued by in a July prison interview with Al-Mussawar magazine in which he said "if time could be turned back" he would not have approved the attack and would have "struggled earnestly" to prevent it. "We long ago stated our rejection of Al- Qae'da's thought. They have turned the whole world, including the 'abode of Islam' [Saudi Arabia], into an abode of war. They have waded in blood and have not achieved one benefit for Islam or Muslims," said during the interview. In press statements and his fellow Gama'a leaders extensively explained their change of heart and mind and their intention to promote their new ideological positions among their fellow prisoners as well among other Muslims by publishing books. After years of research, almost a year ago the leaders started publishing their books, whose main aim was to highlight that ijtihad, or independently reasoned interpretation of the Holy Qur'an and Sunna (teachings of Prophet Mohamed), must be "suited to exigencies, and changing realities". In their books Al-Gama'a's leaders stressed the inevitability of "sincere Muslims", including Al-Gama'a, reviewing their stance on resistance due to the situation in Iraq, external pressures on Arab governments and the global order of power, all of which threaten "national autonomy itself". The release of the three leaders was followed by the publication of two new books, Al-Riyadh Bombing: Rulings and Repercussions and River of Memories, the latter of which tackles Al-Gama'a's ideological volte-face. River of Memories is aimed at all who doubted the credibility of the cease-fire initiative. It reaffirms that Al-Gama'a's leaders are committed to a peaceful "call" even after their release and that the cease-fire initiative was based on "conviction" rather than "the pressure of being incarcerated". Commentators, however, questioned whether the call for an end to Islamist violence was tactical. Some expatriate Al-Gama'a members suggested that the incarcerated leaders were enticed by a government offer for early release. In response to such questions, said "while an agreement with Jews can be temporary, until war against them is resumed, in a peace agreement between Muslims there can be no exit". Al-Gama'a dedicated the Riyadh book to the "blood of all innocent Muslims who were killed in the [Riyadh] bombing and other similar attacks" while River of Memories was dedicated to everyone who contributed to the success of their pacifistic initiative, whether "sincere officials, observant Al-Gama'a leaders or patient Al- Gama'a members". Al-Gama'a, Egypt's most prominent militant group, gained infamy in 1997 for the Luxor massacre that left 58 tourists and four Egyptians dead. The attack was executed by a faction of the group opposed to the cease-fire. Since then all militant operations have ceased. Previous to the Luxor attack, Al- Gama'a's most infamous action was the assassination of Sadat. The president was shot and killed by Khaled El- Islambolli, one of several Al- Gama'a members who emerged from the ranks of a military parade on 6 October 1981 to fire upon the official reviewing stand in Cairo. Al- Islambolli was sentenced to death and executed two years later. Al-Gama'a and Jihad, Egypt's other main armed militant group had struck an alliance to overthrow Sadat, who upon coming to power in 1970 had courted these Islamists to counter the leftist opposition. The Islamist groups decided to kill the president for signing a 1979 peace treaty with Israel, the first Arab leader to do so. El-Dawalibi, who like comes from the southern province of El- Menya, had manufactured furniture and is married with five children. While in prison, earned two law degrees while El- Dawalibi earned a degree in literature. Abdel-Maged is an engineering graduate. Police sources described the release of the Gama'a leaders as "beneficial" in spreading their peaceful ideas of tolerance among the young Islamists. Minister of Interior Habib El-Adli said that these leaders had served their sentences and proved their commitment to peaceful methods. El-Adli further noted that the releases were part of the ministry's routine re-integration of militants, who have committed to renouncing violence and extremist ideas, into mainstream society. According to a source close to Islamists, the releases are a "display of confidence between the government and the Al-Gama'a leaders who renounced violence, as well as a proof of its [the state's] confidence in its ability to rein in terrorism".
