CAIRO: The family of Omar Abdel Rahman, known in the US as “The Blind Sheikh,” called on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf to switch Abdel Rahman for suspected Israeli spy Ilan Grapel at a press conference Monday. Abdel Rahman was convicted of conspiracy for involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing. Grapel was arrested in June, accused of espionage for Israel. The head of the Islamic Group's Shura Council, Mohammad Derbala, joined the family to say that this deal is an opportunity to be seized by president of the SCAF, Mohamed Hussein Tantawi. Another Shura Council member, Nageh Ibrahim, sent U.S. President Barack Obama a message to release Abdel Rahman for America's sake. Ibrahim added that releasing the Sheikh would change the opinion of the Arab and Islamic world regarding the U.S. Administration, and there would be good relations between America and Arab and Islamic countries and the United States. Ibrahim also called on the American people, especially Muslims, to stage periodic protests to revive the case and support the Sheikh. During a phone call from Malaysia Islamic preacher Wagdi Ghoneim said that it's a shame on the Muslims, Arab Sheikhs, and al-Azhar scholars to be silent on the imprisonment of a Sheikh like Omar Abdel Rahman. Ghoneim accused the SCAF of being involved with the U.S. Administration's continued imprisonment of Abdel Rahman. Likely presidential candidate Mohamed Selim el-Awa expressed his support for the idea of swapping Abdel Rahman for the idea of swapping the Abdel Rahman for Grapel. During a phone call, Al-Awa asked the Egyptian government to defend all those who have the Egyptian citizenship. He also asked the government to pursue all means to get the sheikh back to his home, regardless of his political and religious ideologies. Al-Awa drew attention to U.S. Defense Secretary's upcoming visit Tuesday as an opportunity to discuss releasing Rahman.
