al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group, IG)
Name(s). al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya, also spelled al- Jama’a al-Islamiyya, (Islamic Group, IG).
Goals and Objectives. The IG aims to overthrow the secular Egyptian government and replace it with an Islamic state, governed by Shari’a law and devoid of "un-Islamic" influences.
Favored Tactics. The IG employs several different tactics, using car bombs, suicide bombs, and gunfire.

Brief History. Established in the late-1970s, the IG, an Islamic militant group, was one of the largest and most active Islamic groups in Egypt. Several key events and phenomena served as catalysts for the group’s formation and the beginning of its violent attacks. The most notable event occurred in 1978 when Egypt, under President Anwar Sadat’s leadership, became the first Arab country to sign a peace accord with Israel (the Camp David Accords). At about the same time, Sadat introduced progressive social legislation, including measures to strengthen the rights of women. Sadat also began cracking down on and imprisoning members of militant Islamic groups — a shift in policy from years of practicing a more tolerant approach towards them. These policies prompted the IG’s spiritual leader, Sheikh Omar Abdel al- Rahman, to issue a fatwa calling for the assassination of Sadat, who was killed in 1981. Although another Egyptian group, al- Jihad, was primarily responsible for the assassination, several IG militants were involved and were convicted in connection with the crime.

The IG is likewise suspected of a 1995 assassination attempt on Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak while traveling in Addis Ababa. In general, the organization has targeted people and interests that they believe obstruct its vision of an Islamic state, including government personnel, police officers, tourists, Coptic Christians, secular intellectuals, and employees in banks, video stores, and theaters.

The Egyptian government blames the group for the deaths of over 1,300 people. In recent years, the IG is probably best known for the 1997 massacre of 58 foreign tourists at the Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor, Egypt. Since the Luxor attack, the IG has split unofficially into two different ideological camps. The goal of both groups remains the attainment of an Islamic state. However, one faction, led by Rifa’i Taha Musa, condones the use of violence to achieve these ends, and the other, led by Mustafa Hamza, condemns the use of violence.

The IG has not apparently engaged in a terrorist attack inside Egypt since 1998.

Favored Tactics. The IG employs several different tactics, using car bombs, suicide bombs, and gunfire.

Anti-American Activities. The IG has not directly targeted U.S. citizens or interests, although the assassination of Sadat was considered a severe blow to U.S. foreign policy interests in the region. However, the group has previously threatened violence against American interests and reportedly considered kidnapping Americans to use as leverage to win the freedom of its leader Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman."

In 1998, the group’s current operational leader, Rifa’i Taha Musa, signed Osama bin Laden’s proclamation that calls for attacks against U.S. citizens.

Primary Area(s) of Operation. The IG is based in southern (Upper) Egypt, primarily in the regions of al- Minya, Assiut, Qina, and Sohaj. The organization reportedly has some support in Cairo and Alexandria, and also boasts a presence in Afghanistan, Austria, Sudan, United Kingdom, and Yemen.

Strength and Composition. The IG has an unknown number of followers, but at its peak it consisted of several thousand militants. Experts suspect that the group has lost members since the 1990s, a phenomenon that may be attributable to a 1999 cease-fire, as well as a government crackdown on militant groups since the 1997 attacks on tourists at Luxor and the September 11 attacks. The group has tended to attract disenfranchised university graduates who may be frustrated by widespread unemployment in the country.

Connections with Other Groups. The IG allegedly maintains close contact with the Egyptian Islamic extremist group, al- Jihad. The two groups share members and reportedly jointly planned and carried out the assassination of Sadat and the attempted assassination of Mubarak.116 IG may also have a connection with Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda network. Dr. Ayman al- Zawahiri, a leader within the IG and al-Jihad movement, is a close associate of bin Laden (see al-Jihad below). Considering the close connections between al-Jihad and the IG, Zawahiri provides a key link between IG and Al Qaeda.

State Supporters and Other Sources of Funding. According to the Egyptian government, the IG receives aid from Iran, bin Laden and Afghan militant groups. The organization may also receive some funding from Islamic nongovernmental organizations.

Originally Designated as an FTO. October 8, 1997.

Re-designated. October 8, 1999, October 5, 2001.

Issues of Concern for Congress. This group’s potential threat to the Egyptian government and murky funding sources (see above) make it a serious concern in the war on terrorism. Its link to Al Qaeda make it a potential threat to the United States.