In a treatise published in Egypt’s Al Masry Al Youm newspaper, former Islamic Jihad in Egypt leader Sayed Imam has lashed out against his former partner and current Al Qaeda number two man, Ayman Zawahiri, calling him a “bloodthirsty” militant. Imam, who is currently serving a 25-year jail term for his activities over the past few decades, has since renounced violence. “Zawahiri finds it legitimate to kill anybody whose country fights Muslims,” said Imam. The former militant added that Osama bin Laden and Zawahiri were “bloodthirsty and remain determined to commit mass killings.” Imam remained steadfast in his attacks against Al Qaeda’s killing of civilians, saying the Islamist organization is hijacking religious law in order to justify its actions. “The killing of civilians in blocks, trains, markets, mosques or elsewhere is a declaration of impotence to face armies of enemy states and cowardice. Their impotence drew them to kill civilians who Islamic Sharia said should not be killed,” said Imam. “Zawahiri and his friends call for the killing and kidnapping of tourists. However Zawahiri himself went to a number of European countries and the U.S. and came out of these countries safe and nobody harmed him there. Nobody kidnapped or killed him,” Imam said.
