Abu-Ismail is the son of late high-profile Islamist figure Salah Abu-Ismail, who was a prominent Al-Azhar scholar, a long-standing member of parliament, and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.
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Both in secondary school and at Cairo University, Abu-Ismail was deeply involved in student politics, and has long been a staunch critic of US policy in the region.
He first attracted attention on the political stage in 1995, when, following in his father’s footsteps, he took part in parliamentary elections. He was eliminated, however, in the elections’ runoff stage.
He first attracted attention on the political stage in 1995, when, following in his father’s footsteps, he took part in parliamentary elections. He was eliminated, however, in the elections’ runoff stage.
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Abu-Ismail again tried to secure a parliamentary seat in 2005 parliamentary polls, when he ran for the Muslim Brotherhood (as a nominal independent) against Amal Osman, former minister of social affairs and member of Mubarak’s ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). Although Osman ultimately won the vote, the polling was widely believed to have been rigged in her favour..
After failing to make it to the People's Assembly (the lower house of Egypt’s parliament), Abu-Ismail became politically inactive for several years. His weekly sermons at the prominent Assad Bin El-Forat Mosque in Cairo, however, remained politically charged..
Abu-Ismail repeatedly criticised the Mubarak regime's record on human rights and defended several members of the Muslim Brotherhood – outlawed at the time – who faced military tribunals under the then-ruling regime, such as the deputy supreme guide of the group Khairat El-Shater..
He also advocated against the regime in several high-profile legal cases, including one aimed at halting the export of Nile water to Israel and the legal defence of Suleiman Khater – the Egyptian soldier who killed four Israelis in the Sinai Peninsula in 1986 and was later found dead in prison under suspicious circumstances – among other cases..
Although harassed by authorities on several occasions, Mubarak’s notorious State Security apparatus never arrested Abu-Ismail. Some observers have attributed this to his father's high-profile status..
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Polite comments will be responded to politely;
however, if you use a knife, then I will use WMD!