Egypt's once-banned Jama'a al-Islamiya is the latest Egyptian institution to subscribe to Facebook, following decisions by the ruling military council, the cabinet, and several ministries to also set up accounts on the social networking site. The Facebook foray follows a decision by the group's governing council, which seeks to publish statements independently from its official website run by board member Nageh Ibrahim. Jama'a al-Islamiya is one of Egypt's largest Islamist organizations. It orchestrated armed attacks against the ruling regime during the '90s, but then formally renounced violence. The group's first post, which called for coexistence with non-Muslims, drew a torrent of comments. Meanwhile, profiles of long-bearded members were ubiquitous on the page, which received 174 “likes” within 24 hours. "The Facebook page aims to grant easy access to documented statements," said Mohamed Hassan, the group's media secretary and the page's administrator. “We intend to improve our official website through publishing news and documentaries, while the Facebook page will be devoted to statements," he added. The launch of Jama'a al-Islamiya's facebook page coincides with the creation of another page for Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, the group's spiritual leader, who is currently imprisoned in the US. His family is pressing for his release. Abdel Rahman is held in the US on suspicions that he was involved in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York. Translated from the Arabic Edition
