Hasm, Lewaa al-Thawra based on takfiri ideas: investigations

CAIRO – 19 June 2018: Members of both of Hasm and Lewaa al-Thawra terrorist movements revealed during the investigations to be intellectually trained to combat the countries' regimes and governments, aiming to destabilize and topple them.

According to some of the defendants' confessions, Egypt's Supreme State Security affirmed that the two formations were based on takfiri ideas. It was assured that the terrorist plans of Hasm and Lewaa al-Thawra groups targeted Egypt's stability and security.
Currently, there are about 278 defendants investigated in the case; however only 52 of them gave complete confessions regarding their roles as part of the terrorist groups.

It was also revealed during the investigations that the terrorist formations have about 21 different residences in the countries' governorates, including Damietta, Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Menoufia, Fayoum, Qalioubia, Assiut, Sharkia and Beheira governorates.

It was proved that the two armed groups targeted vital buildings and organizations' headquarters in addition to several police officials.

The defendants confessions also assured that the armed groups were working on manufacturing arms, not just using them in terrorist acts.

Hasm is an Islamist militant group operating in Egypt. In Arabic, the word “Hasm” means decisiveness. It also stands for Ḥarakat Sawa'd Miṣr (Arms of Egypt Movement). Hasm has been associated with nearly every terrorist attack in Egypt during the last year.

Hasm group is supposedly linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, a group which is deemed illegal in Egypt. However, the Brotherhood’s media spokesman, Talaat Fahmi, denied the Brotherhood’s links to Hasm to Turkish-led Anadul agency in December 2016. He said the Brotherhood could never be linked to those who commit violence and bloodshed.

Lewaa al-Thawra’s formation has been welcomed by Hasm. Both groups followed the same style and techniques in attacking the targets, documenting the attacks, and publishing photos or video clips.

This indicates a high-level coordination between the two organizations or that these two movements actually follow one command. During its investigations, the Supreme State Security Prosecution considered that Hasm movement also bears the name of Lewaa al-Thawra.

Both groups, especially Lewaa al-Thawra, are apparently not based on jihadist ideologies like those of Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. They use slogans and concepts in their statements like ‘the nation is the source’ that directly contradicts strict conservative Salafist jihadist ideologies, which call for the establishing of an Islamic caliphate.