Egypt: Hasm Movement Takes a More Islamist Tone
| Publisher | Jamestown Foundation |
| Author | Alexander Sehmer |
| Publication Date | 27 October 2017 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 20 |
| Cite as | Jamestown Foundation, Egypt: Hasm Movement Takes a More Islamist Tone, 27 October 2017, Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 20, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0d6acd4.html [accessed 16 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Link to original story on Jamestown website
The Hasm Movement's bomb attack on the Myanmar embassy in Cairo adds weight to claims that the group, which portrays itself as a nationalist movement intent on bringing down Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, may be developing a more overtly Islamist slant.
On September 30, an improvised explosive device was detonated at the Myanmar embassy in Cairo's Zamalek district, causing damage but no casualties. Initial reports claimed the explosion was the result of a gas leak in an apartment.
In a statement released on Telegram following the blast, Hasm claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was in response to events in Myanmar's Rakhine State, where Muslim Rohingya are fleeing in the wake of a violent military campaign (Egyptian Independent, October 2; Egyptian Streets, October 2). The statement also attempted to draw parallels between the actions of the Egyptian government and the events in Myanmar, condemning a supposed "global silence" in both cases.
Two days later, police reportedly killed three alleged Hasm members in a gun battle and called for further raids on the group (Daily News, October 2).
The Hasm Movement has been careful to avoid civilian casualties in its attacks, preferring to target security officials and state institutions (see Terrorism Monitor, September 22). Although the blast at the embassy is in keeping with that to an extent - at least in respect of the care taken to avoid civilian casualties - it is a potentially significant development in terms of the group's alignment and popular appeal.
The situation in Myanmar is not a uniquely Islamist issue, instead it has galvanized a diverse range of activists and experts, but the messaging behind the embassy blast lends more weight to the belief that the Hasm Movement is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, a claim made by the Egyptian authorities, one which they are yet to substantiate (al-Monitor, October 15).
It is a belief that appears to be shared by Islamic State (IS), which accuses the Hasm Movement of pursing self-interested nationalist goals rather than "pure" jihad (SITE, October 4). IS' disdain of Hasm stems in part from the Movement's unwillingness to endorse IS attacks on Egypt's Copts. IS fighters killed scores of people in separate suicide bombings on Coptic churches in Tanta and Alexandria in April (Daily Sabah, April 9).
Hasm condemned both of those attacks, but with the Myanmar embassy bombing and its play on the plight of the Rohingya, the Hasm Movement appears to be attempting to broaden its appeal and may be growing more Islamist in its outlook.
