Islamic leader Aboud el-Zomor today attended a press conference outside the American embassy in Cairo to “demonstrate his support for Omar Abdel-Rahman's family who were treaty unfairly under the former regime.” El-Zomor praised the politicians and broadcasters who supported the effort to bring the blind Sheikh back to Egypt, adding that his position in the sit-in was meant to be symbolic, not meant to disrupt production. “There are figures from the former regime who want us to forget the Sheikh's case since he is considered a key figure in the Gama'a Islamiyya,” el Zomor added. “Gama'a Islamiyya used to have to defend its ideology in the face of a corrupt regime because they called us terrorists,” said el-Zomor. “The next generation of the group will have a right to employ its politics in developing Egypt.” The U.S. and Egyptian ruling military council must release Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, he demanded. “Our group arranged this sit-in as a symbol and if we want to start a million-man march, we can manage,” el-Zomor told Youm7. “We are concerned about our country and we are aware of the tough circumstances.” “The group is demanding the release of the blind Sheikh not because he belongs to a certain political movement, but rather because he is a Muslim and it's our duty to stand by him,” said Safwat Abdel Ghani, a member of the Islamic group. “America will not enjoy its security or peace if the Sheikh dies inside an American prison,” he added.
