Reuters Posted online: Monday, September 02, 2002 at 1812 hours IST
Cairo, September 2: A suspected mastermind behind the September 11 attacks, Ayman al-Zawahri, has been invited to take part in a Cairo conference this weekend on the future of Islamic movements—by telephone or the Internet.
Islamist lawyer Montasser al-Zayat told Reuters he issued an invitation this week on Islamic Websites to Zawahri, a top aide of Osama bin Laden, to join in Sunday's seminar in a Cairo hotel.
Zawahri, an Egyptian former surgeon, made an anti-US pact with bin Laden in Afghanistan. The United States says bin Laden's al Qaeda was behind the attacks on New York and Washington which killed around 3,000 people.
The whereabouts of Zawahri and bin Laden after a US military campaign destroyed al Qaeda's operations in Afghanistan remain unknown.
"He should take part by any means. We said he could send a message by the Net—the telephone could be difficult," said Zayat, a former acquaintance of Zawahri.
Zawahri is the founder of the Jihad group which, alongside another militant group al-Gamaa al-Islamiya, fought a 1992-7 campaign to topple the government of President Hosni Mubarak. Zayat was considered an unofficial Gamaa spokesman from 1990-94.
"We told him (Zawahri) he should speak. He should write his reasons, his view on September 11 and the way out of the crisis the Islamist movement is now in," said Zayat, who condemns violence and says militants should make peace with the state.
"Do we stay with the same methods, do we only shout and curse the United States? Is that the only thing that will realise our objectives?" Zayat said, adding he had little doubt al Qaeda was behind the September 11 attacks.
"We don't want just to criticise. We want an objective evaluation of the way out. I hope there will be a response (from Zawahri)," he said.
Zayat said the seminar would be attended by writers and politicians covering the whole gamut of Islamic politics, including Zawahri's uncle Mahfouz Azzam, an Islamist lawyer.
Islamic political groups in Egypt say they want the implementation of Islamic sharia laws, but differ on the ways of bringing it about. They also oppose the United States over its support for Israel in its conflict with Palestinians.
The government prohibits militant groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, which condemns violence and is considered Egypt's largest opposition group.
