London Islamist, Yasser Al-Sirri: If bin Laden is Captured or Killed, it Will Change Nothing

Yasser Al-Sirri, an Egyptian Islamist living in London and head of the Islamic Observation Center was interviewed by Al-Arabiya TV (Dubai). Following are excerpts from his comments:

Moderator: Is it true that once bin Laden is captured, the Al-Qa'ida organization will collapse?

Yasser Al-Sirri: If, heaven forbid, bin Laden is killed or arrested, it will change nothing for the members of the Islamic movement. The Al-Qa'ida organization has managed to mobilize the young people of the [Islamic] nation to target the American interests after it was proven that the US is targeting Islam and the Muslims when it invaded Afghanistan and Iraq regardless of the toppling of this or that regime.

It was proven that the American administration, through its hawks, is leading the US to the point of collapse. This is the beginning of the collapse. [The US] is targeting the Islamic and Arab nation, to serve its interests. It wants to extort the nation, to control it, and to obtain hegemony over it. Some of the Arab and Islamic regimes are helping in this. When we talk of the siege on the Islamic movement, it must be said at the same time that the media discourse of bin Laden led to the mobilization of the young people of the nation against the American interests. Many things may be done by the Islamic young people, or by those who support them and are filled with enthusiasm, that will serve the interests and goals of the Al-Qa'ida, regardless of whether they belong to the Al-Qa'ida organization or not.

Moderator: Is the use of violence against civilians a reaction to the Americans, Yasser?

Al-Sirri: Killing innocent civilians is forbidden. I state that this is forbidden. This is an act that we reject and condemn. Whoever kills innocents commits an act that has nothing to do with Islam. We do not need to attribute everything that happens to Islamists. What is happening in Iraq might be carried out by the Israeli Mossad, might be carried out by regimes that have an interest in what happens in Iraq. Why do we attribute everything to Islam?! Islam is innocent of all this. Everyone today wants to accuse Islam. This is an injustice!