On September 11, 2012, thousands of Egyptians protested outside the U.S. embassy in Cairo in outrage over segments from an American movie that defames the Prophet Muhammad. The masses that surrounded the embassy included people from various political streams, but supporters of Salafi and Salafi-jihadi parties and movements were especially dominant, including supporters of Al-Nour, Al-Da'wa Al-Salafiyya, Islamic Jihad, sheikh Hazem Abu Isma'il. Also prominent were members of various 'Ultras' groups, namely organized groups of extremist soccer fans who became a political pressure group after the Egyptian revolution. Ultras members scaled the embassy walls, and some of them managed to take down and rip apart the U.S. flag.[1] It should be noted that members of Ultras groups were also among the leaders of the attack on the Israeli embassy in Cairo in September 2011. Following the publication of the film segments, statements supporting terrorism against the U.S. began appearing on the Facebook page of the "Al-Tahrir Square Ultras," including a quote by Osama bin Laden and a photo of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. "Demonstrations of millions" are also planned to take place tomorrow (September 14) outside the U.S. embassy in Cairo.[2]
The Egyptian Ultras are members of various soccer fan clubs such as Zamalek, Al-Ahly, and Al-Masry. They were known to have tense relations with Hosni Mubarak's interior ministry and security forces, who saw them as anarchists that inflamed the spectators at football matches and were involved in incidents of vandalism and violence. They took an active role in the protests to topple the Mubarak regime in January 2011, and dozens of their members, fans of Al-Ahly, were killed in the February 2, 2011 "Battle of the Camel" when mercenaries on camelback hired by the regime attacked protestors in Al-Tahrir Square. Since then, the Ultras have been utilizing their recruitment skills to organize protests in Egypt, mainly in demand to take power from the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), such as the anti-SCAF demonstrations of November 2011. In January 2012, they participated in demonstrations marking the anniversary of the revolution, and later also took part in protests outside the courtroom during the trial of Mubarak and his sons.[3]
In February 2012, some 70 Ultras were killed in the Port Said soccer stadium during a knife fight between fans. The fans claimed that it was the SCAF's way of punishing the Ultras for calling to remove it from power, since security at the stadium was lax.[4] Since then, the Ultras have continued functioning as a pressure group. For example, in May 2012, they held a protest in Al-Tahrir Square, demanding retribution for the killers of protestors.[5]
It should be mentioned that the name "Ultras" does not refer to a unified broad movement in Egypt with a defined leadership or platform. It is a blanket term for various fan clubs, who sometimes have a common agenda, such as objection to the continuing rule of the SCAF. Occasionally, various groups within this movement have agendas of their own. For example, a recent report mentions a group calling itself "The Abu Isma'il Ultras," which held protests outside the Syrian embassy in Cairo in solidarity with the Syrian people.[6]
"Ultras" Websites Plan For Protest
The Facebook page of the "Al-Tahrir Square Ultras"[7] was established at the onset of the January 2011 Egyptian revolution. Today it has over 38,000 fans, members of various Ultras groups whose stated goal is to defend the revolution, including the "Ultras White Knights" (fans of the Al-Zamalek soccer team) and the "Ultras Ahlawy" (fans of the Al-Ahly soccer team).
Featured "likes" on the on the "Al-Tahrir Square Ultras" Facebook page.
On September 10, 2012, following the publication of segments of an American movie that insults the Prophet Muhammad, the Facebook page began calling for a march towards the U.S. embassy in Cairo on September 11, 2012, following afternoon prayers.The organizers of the march called to protest against the movie, claiming that insulting the Prophet Muhammad is a red line for them. The Facebook page also changed its cover photo for the occasion, adding a line of text saying "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad Is His Prophet" (see image below).
Cover photo of Facebook page: "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger"
On September 11, 2012, the Facebook page also featured the following banner:
"Call to demonstrate outside the American Embassy in protest of the screening of a movie that insults the Prophet."
The page urged members to change their profile pictures to a images showing the name of the Prophet, and make September 11 a day of memory, in which they would show the world the Prophet's real image, as opposed to what is shown in the "despicable movie." The page also featured quotes from books written about Muhammad in the West that praise his moral character and religious and political leadership.
U.S. embassy flag in the hands of White Knight Ultras – fans of the Al-Zamalek soccer club.
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Threats Against U.S.
The page also featured messages implying a threat to the U.S. A photo uploaded on September 11 shows the 9/11 attack in New York, accompanied by the caption: "If you sanctify the freedom of speech, we sanctify the freedom of action" (see picture below).
On September 12, the page quoted a 2008 statement by Osama bin Laden which he addressed to the Danish government following the publication of the Muhammad cartoons: "If your freedom of speech is unlimitted, then prepare yourselves for our freedom of action [against you]."
Jihadi Forums Plan For Protest
The September 11 demonstration in front of the U.S. embassy was attended by numerous activists from Salafi-jihadi movements, and banners associated with global jihad were in evidence. Prominent among the participants were supporters of "The Blind Sheikh" 'Omar 'Abd Al-Rahman, spiritual leader of Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiyya, who been imprisoned in the U.S. since 1996 for his involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.[8]
Call to protest on jihadi blog.
Muhammad Al-Zawahiri, the brother of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, called on his Twitter account to participate in the demonstration (see image below): [9]
The forum of the Zamalek soccer club featured the following images of the demonstration, which show black global jihad banners and a sign saying "We are all Osama bin Laden":[10]
[1] Al-Ahram (Egypt), September 12, 2012.
[2] Al-Yawm Al-Sabi' (Egypt), September 13, 2012.
[3] Al-Ahram (Egypt), February 5, 17, 2012; The "Al-Tahrir Square Ultras" Facebook page
[4] The official investigation of the massacre at the stadium concluded that the incident was planned by fans of Al-Masry and thugs who wanted to realize their political demands. Following penalties leveled against the Al-Masry club, Ultras members attacked the premises of the Suez Canal administration in Port Said. One man was shot dead and 67 were injured, some of them military personnel. Al-Ahram (Egypt), March 16, 2012.
[5] Al-Dustour Al-Asli (Egypt), May 18, 2012.
[6] Al-Dustour Al-Asli (Egypt), September 11, 2012.
[8] http://www.ansarsharia.blogspot.co.il/, September 10, 2012.
