Al-Qaeda’s slain leader Osama bin Laden may not be dead, says Sheikh Osama Hafez, spokesperson to the Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya. Hafez’s niece is married to one of Bin Laden’s sons, Othman, both of whom have been detained in Iran since 2004.

Hafez pointed out that former US president George Bush had twice announced Bin Laden’s death. This, for him, casts doubt on the latest announcement.

Hafez went on to urge all Al-Qaeda fighters to renounce violence and review their tactics.

Nageh Ibrahim, a member of the Shura Council of the Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya, also weighed in on Bin Laden’s death.

“We had hoped that Bin Laden reviews his stance on some of the issues that we disagreed with him on so that he can become a spiritual leader so that different Islamic movements can follow his path and change their position on violence,” Ibrahim told Ahram Online.

Ibrahim also insisted that there have not been any dormant Al-Qaeda cells in Egypt since the mid 90s and that the country is safe from any retaliatory attacks following Bin Laden’s death.

Earlier today, Al-Azhar’s Grand Imam released a statement slamming reports that Bin Laden’s body was dumped in the sea as reported by several media outlets and insisted that he should be buried according to the stipulations of Sharia law.