Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Arab Intellectuals Receive Death Threat | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page

Washington D.C, Asharq Al-Awsat- A number of Arab intellectuals living abroad, including several Egyptians, has received death threats from a previously unknown group. In an email message, seen by Asharq al Awsat, the “Supporters of God’s Messenger” (AL Munasirun li Rasul al Allah) threatened to kill so-called atheists, polytheists and their supporters unless they repent by today. The message was sent to a number of non- Muslim intellectuals and signed by Abu Dhar al Maqdisihi, the media spokesperson for the group.

Asharq al Awsat spoke to several recipients of the email and asked them about their reactions to its threatening content.

Dr. Wafa Sultan, who lives in California , pointed out that the source of the latest threat differed from the dozens she had previously received because it was made by a group and not an individual. She expressed fear for her life as the message included personal information about the recipients, as well as the names of some of their spouses and children. Sultan vowed to inform the U.S authorities of the email and seek their protection.

For his part, Dr, Shakir Nabulsi, a resident of Denver, Colorado, said he was not afraid of the threat as he had received several others before and refused to be frightened by terrorists.

Refusing to bow to the demands of terrorists, Dr. Ahmad Subhi Mansour, who lives I Virginia, said he would take the threat seriously and indicated the message was probably originated in Egypt .

The Islamic thinker Jamal al Banna, brother of the Hssan al Banna, the founder of the Muslim Bortherhood, denied any knowledge of the organization calling itself “Supporters of God’s Messenger”, which included his name in a list of 31 supporters. He described its threat as “nonsense” and said the authors were “Satan’s soldiers”.