Editing Mohab Mostafa Al Sayed Qasim

{{Orphan|date=March 2017}}

'''Mohab Mostafa Al Sayed Qasim''' ({{lang-ar|مهاب مصطفى السيد قاسم}}) is the suspected ringleader of an Egyptian terrorist cell responsible for carrying out the December 2016 [[Botroseya Church bombing]]. Following the bombing, Qasim’s 2015 trip to [[Qatar]] became the subject of a controversy over alleged Qatari ties to the terrorist attack.

== Background ==
Mohab Mostafa Al Sayed Qasim was born on November 2, 1986 in [[Egypt]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.alarabiya.net/ar/arab-and-world/egypt/2016/12/13/%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D9%87%D8%B0%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%8A%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%84%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%A9-.html|title=بالصور.. هذه تفاصيل المتورطين بتفجير الكنيسة المصرية!|website=Al Arabiya|language=ar|access-date=2016-01-12}}</ref> His brother, Mohsen El Sayed Qasim, was born in December 1981 and was a member of the terrorist cell led by Mohab Qasim responsible for carrying out the Botroseya Church bombing.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/251954/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-interior-ministry-accuses-Muslim-Brotherhoo.aspx|title=Egypt's interior ministry accuses Muslim Brotherhood of involvement in Sunday's church bombing - Politics  - Egypt - Ahram Online|website=english.ahram.org.eg|access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref> Mohab Mostafa Al Sayed Qasim’s "militant name" is "The Doctor."<ref name=":1" />

== Terrorist attack ==
On December 11, 2016, a suicide bomber killed 29 people and injured 47 others after detonating a bomb at St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church in [[Cairo]]. The suicide bomber was later identified as Mahmoud Shafiq Mohammed Mustafa. According to a statement made by Egypt’s [[Ministry of Interior (Egypt)|Ministry of Interior]], Mustafa belonged to a terrorist cell led by Mohab Qasim.

Egyptian police conducted a raid on the terrorist cell’s hideout in Cairo’s [[Zeitoun, Cairo|Zeitoun]] district on December 12, 2016. During the raid, authorities arrested four members of the cell and found two explosive belts and other materials used to make explosives.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=http://gulfnews.com/news/mena/egypt/egypt-finds-brotherhood-link-in-church-bombing-1.1944543|title=Egypt finds Brotherhood link in church bombing|date=2016-12-13|publisher=Al Nisr Publishing LLC|newspaper=Gulf News|access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref> The arrested members of the terrorist cell led by Mohab Qasim were identified as Ramy Mohamed Abdel-Ghany and his wife Ola Hussein Ali, Mohamed Hamdy Abdel-Ghany, and the brother of Mohab Qasim, Mohsen El Sayed Qasim.<ref name=":1" />

Ramy Mohamed Abdel-Ghany is suspected of having provided refuge for suicide bomber Mahmoud Mustafa as well as preparing him and hiding the explosives.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/egypt-accuses-brotherhood-supporting-church-attackers-005016932.html|title=Egypt accuses Brotherhood of supporting church attackers|agency=AFP|access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref>

The Muslim Brotherhood denied involvement with the suicide attack.<ref name=":2" /> [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIS]] later claimed responsibility for the attack.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/world/middleeast/egypt-isis-bombing-coptic-christians.html|title=ISIS Claims Responsibility for Egypt Church Bombing and Warns of More to Come|last=Walsh|first=Declan|date=2016-12-13|last2=Youssef|first2=Nour|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref>

== Controversy between Egypt and Qatar ==
The statement issued by Egypt’s Ministry of Interior claimed that Mohab Qasim received financial and logistical support from Muslim Brotherhood leaders based in Qatar.<ref name=":2" />

According to the statement, Qasim traveled to Qatar in 2015 and met with Muslim Brotherhood leaders.[[# edn12|[xii]]] Qasim was allegedly offered financial and logistical support to carry out attacks in Egypt.<ref name=":2" /> Upon returning to Egypt, Qasim reportedly traveled to [[North Sinai Governorate|North Sinai]] where he met with members of [[Ansar Bait al-Maqdis|Ansar Beit El-Maqdis]] to receive training on using weapons and making explosives.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" />

Following his visit to North Sinai, Qasim was allegedly given permission by Qatar-based Muslim Brotherhood leaders to carry out attacks against Egypt’s [[Copts|Coptic Christians]] in hopes of furthering sectarian divides in Egypt.<ref name=":1" /> The Ministry of the Interior claimed that Qasim was behind a call made by the Egyptian Revolutionary Council for attacks against Egypt’s Copts for their support for the government of [[Abdel Fattah el-Sisi]].

=== GCC and Qatari response ===
The Secretary-General of the [[Gulf Cooperation Council]], [[Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani]], condemned Egypt’s accusations of Qatari involvement in the suicide attack on Thursday, December 15.<ref name=":2" /> Al Zayani claimed that "unverified statements could harm the strong relations between the GCC and Egypt."<ref name=":2" />

Qatar’s [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Qatar)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]] and Director of the Qatari Information Office [[Ahmed Al-Rumaihi]] condemned Egypt’s accusations. In a statement reported by the [[Qatar News Agency]] (QNA), Al Rumaihi acknowledged that Qasim arrived in Qatar on December 3, 2015 on an entry visit visa, but claimed that Qatari authorities did not receive a request to detain the suspect or prevent him from entering Qatar.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/qatar/qatar-denies-involvement-in-cairo-church-attack-1.1945000|title=Qatar denies involvement in Cairo church attack|date=2016-12-14|newspaper=GulfNews|access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref>

Ahmed Al Rumaihi also stated that the State of Qatar "rejects terrorism in all its forms regardless of its motives, as well as Qatar’s rejection to any threat to the security of the Egyptian people."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.qna.org.qa/en-us/News/16121323440085/Qatar-Rejects-Claims-of-its-Involvement-in-Egyptian-Church-Attack|title=Qatar Rejects Claims of its Involvement in Egyptian Church Attack|website=www.qna.org.qa|publisher=Qatar News Agency|access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Qasim, Mohab Mostafa Al Sayed}}
[[Category:1986 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood members]]