Grand Imam of al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb met with Marine Le Pen in Cairo
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The French Front National leader met Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar, in Cairo to discuss the need to fight extremism
Egypt’s top imam has warned Marine Le Pen, the French far-Right leader, that her Front National party’s “hostile opinions” towards Islam must be “reviewed and corrected”.
During a meeting in Cairo, Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, told Ms Le Pen that the Sunni Muslim body had “serious concerns” over her party’s stance on Islam.
The Front National, which had a strong showing in local elections in March, has campaigned on politically explosive issues of immigration and the integration of Islam into French society after the Charlie Hebdo attacks.
Ms Le Pen, who did not wear a veil during the meeting, “recognised the need to not confuse Islam with the violent acts committed” in its name, Al-Azhar said in a statement. » | AFP | Friday, May 29, 2015
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Terrorisme – La prestigieuse mosquée-université sunnite basée en Egypte a qualifié l'exécution de chrétiens en Libye de «crime odieux commis par le groupe terroriste Daesh».
Al-Azhar, l'une des plus prestigieuses institutions de l'islam sunnite basée en Egypte, a condamné lundi 20 avril l'exécution en Libye de 28 Ethiopiens capturés par le groupe Etat islamique (EI).
Située au Caire, Al-Azhar, la mosquée-université la plus prestigieuse de l'islam sunnite, a qualifié cet acte de «crime odieux commis par le groupe terroriste Daesh», utilisant l'aconyme arabe de l'EI, sur sa page Facebook.
Le groupe EI a diffusé dimanche une nouvelle vidéo qui menace les chrétiens, montrant l'exécution d'au moins 28 hommes présentés comme des Ethiopiens par des djihadistes en Libye.
Les agissements de «Daesh et des organisations similaires ne s'accordent en rien avec quelque religion, loi ou tradition humaine que ce soit», a déclaré Al-Azhar. » | afp/Newsnet | lundi 20 avril 2015
DIE WELT: Im Islam herrscht "Chaos", findet der Großimam der Kairoer Azhar-Universität. Deshalb macht sich Scheich al-Tajib für eine Modernisierung seiner Religion stark – auch, um dem IS das Handwerk zu legen.
Der Vorsteher der anerkannten ägyptischen Azhar-Universität hat sich auf einer Anti-Terrorismus-Konferenz in Saudi-Arabien für eine Modernisierung des Islam ausgesprochen. Es habe eine "historische Ansammlung" falscher Interpretation islamischer Quellen gegeben, die zu Extremismus und Gewalt unter Muslimen geführt hätten, sagte Großimam Scheich Ahmed al-Tajib in seiner Rede zur Eröffnung der Konferenz. Es sei notwendig, dieses "Chaos" unter "Kontrolle zu bringen". Geschehe dies nicht, gebe es "keine Hoffnung" für die islamische Gemeinschaft, ihre Einheit zurückzuerlangen. » | dpa/KNA/rct | Montag, 23. Februar 2015
LE POINT: Ahmed Al-Tayeb, principale autorité sunnite du pays, avait apporté jeudi sa caution à la "feuille de route" présentée par l'armée pour la transition.
Le grand imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb d'Al-Azhar, la principale autorité sunnite d'Égypte, a annoncé lundi qu'il se plaçait "en retrait" jusqu'à la fin des violences en Égypte, qui ont fait au moins 42 morts dans la matinée. Dans un communiqué qu'il a lu à la télévision d'État, il a annoncé sa décision de se mettre en réserve. L'imam avait apporté jeudi sa caution à la mise en place d'une "feuille de route" présentée par l'armée pour mener la transition après le coup militaire qui a renversé le président islamiste Mohamed Morsi, à la suite de manifestations de masse réclamant son départ. Le patriarche copte orthodoxe Tawadros II et des responsables de l'opposition anti-Morsi ont également soutenu cette feuille de route. » | Source AFP | lundi 08 juillet 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Antisemitism in Al-Azhar University's Friday Sermon: The Jews Are The Muslims' Worst Enemies | Channel 1 (Egypt) | May 10, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Sunni Islam's Al-Azhar Eyes 'Better Relations' With New Pope
HINDUSTAN TIMES: Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning, Al-Azhar, said on Thursday that it wants "better relations" with the Vatican under Pope Francis.
"We are hoping for better relations with the Vatican after the election of the new pope," Mahmud Azab, adviser for inter-faith affairs to Al-Azhar imam Ahmed al-Tayyeb said.
"As soon as a new policy emerges, we will resume the dialogue with the Vatican which was suspended in early 2011," Azab said. "We congratulate the Church of St Peter and all Catholics around the world."
In 2006, Pope Benedict sparked fury across the Muslim world when he recounted an anecdote in which the Muslim Prophet Mohammed was described as a warmonger who spread evil teachings by the sword. » | AFP, Cairo | Thursday, March 14, 2013
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Azhar Urges Modern, Civilian Egypt State
ON ISLAM: CAIRO – Framing a document with Egypt’s intellectuals on the country’s future, Cairo’s Al-Azhar, the highest seat of learning in the Sunni Muslim world, called for a modern, democratic state in Egypt with principals of Islamic shari`ah as the essential source of legislation.
The document aims to define “the relationship between Islam and the state in this difficult phase,” the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed El-Tayyeb, declared in a news conference broadcast live, Agence France Presse (AFP) reported on Monday, June 20.
The document supports “the establishment of a modern, democratic, constitutional state” based upon the separation of powers and guaranteeing equal rights to all citizens, he said. » | OnIslam & News Agencies | Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Egypt's Islamic TV Extends Reach with New Languages
REUTERS: Egypt's al-Azhar's satellite channel that seeks to promote moderate Islam launched four language services to extend its reach to millions of Muslims worldwide, its designers said on Sunday.
Al-Azhar, one of the oldest seats of Sunni Islamic learning, will target viewers in English, French, Urdu, and Pashto besides its now running Arabic programs, in a renewed effort to further U.S. President Barak Obama's call for greater religious tolerance.
The station was launched to coincide with Obama's visit to Cairo in mid-2009 and his call for better ties between the Muslim world and the United States.
Al-Azhar, whose head is appointed by the state, has traditionally supported the Egyptian government in its campaign against Islamic militants, such as a group that launched an insurgency in Egypt in the 1990s . "There is a wide open market for religious moderation on the airwaves," said Sheikh Khaled El Gendy, Azhar religious scholar and one of the channel's content developers.
"We are competing with voices of intolerance for the attention and loyalty of young people," Gendy, who hosts a live call-in program for viewers struggling with the interpretation of Islam to seek guidance, said. >>> Dina Zayed, Cairo | Sunday, June 06, 2010
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Al-Azhar Chief 'Should Resign Over Veil Remark'
AFP: CAIRO — A Islamist lawmaker called on Wednesday for the head of the most prestigious centre of religious learning in the Sunni Muslim world to resign after he told a schoolgirl to remove the veil covering her face.
The demand to step down came as about two dozen students, wearing the face veil, known as a niqab, protested outside the state-run Cairo University, which has banned the veils from its residence hall.
Mohammed Tantawi, head of Al-Azhar University, told a schoolgirl to remove her niqab when he spotted her during a tour of an Al-Azhar affiliated school, the independent Al-Masry al-Youm newspaper reported this week.
He also said he intended to ban the niqab at Al-Azhar and made an unflattering remark about the girl's appearance when she took off the veil, the newspaper said.
"And you look like this; what would you do of you were a bit pretty," he reportedly asked, adding "I know more about religion than your parents."
Al-Azhar spokesman Ahmed Tawfiq confirmed Tantawi had asked the girl to remove the niqab, but said he spoke to her in a kindly way.
He said Tantawi, who insists the niqab is not an Islamic practice, wanted to ban the niqab from Al-Azhar classrooms on religious grounds.
"The imam always bases his decision on religious grounds," said Tawfiq.
Hamdi Hassan, an MP with the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition group, said "Tantawi cannot stay in his post; he hurt's Al-Azhar every time he says something.
"I believe the niqab is not an obligation, but it is a benefit," he added. "Why ban it from Al-Azhar? It's a religious institution, not a belly dancing academy." >>> Samer al-Atrush (AFP) | Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Kuwaiti MP Blasts Top Egypt Imam over Veil
ARAB TIMES: KUWAIT CITY: A Kuwaiti hardline Salafist MP on Wednesday blasted Egypt’s leading cleric Mohammed Tantawi for reportedly saying that wearing a face veil was not an obligation under Islam for women. “Tantawi’s statements against the niqab (face veil) are shameful,” Mohammad Hayef told reporters. “He is known for his bizarre and abnormal fatwas (religious edicts).” Tantawi, head of the Islamic Al-Azhar University, reportedly asked a student to take off her niqab when he spotted her in a classroom at an institute run by the university. The cleric reportedly said the niqab was a tradition, not an Islamic obligation.
The niqab has come to be associated with Salafism, a brand of ultra-conservative Islam practised mostly in Saudi Arabia and some Gulf states. Al-Mutairi, who is also the Al-Thawabet Bloc Secretary General — asserted this statement defies the actions of Islamic clerics and the spirituality code of scholars. Islamists in Egypt and the whole world launched a scathing attack against Al-Tantawi immediately after the publication of these reports. “The public has grown familiar to the appalling statements of Al-Tantawi who has continued to brandish his idiosyncrasies to the whole world,” said Al-Mutairi. [Source: Arab Times] Dahlia Kholaif, Arab Times Staff and Agencies | Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Thursday, June 04, 2009
President Obama Speaks to the Muslim World from Cairo, Egypt
NZZ Online: Kommentar: Eine Rede allein genügt nicht
Welche Wirkung der amerikanische Präsident mit seiner Rede in Kairo erzeugen wird, bleibt abzuwarten. Dabei gilt es zu berücksichtigen, dass Barack Obama nicht nur die islamische Welt im Auge hatte, sondern auch das Publikum im eigenen Land. Natürlich ist es für ihn nützlich, bei Muslimen rund um den Globus Sympathien zu erzeugen. Aber was für ihn letztlich zählt, sind die amerikanischen Wähler. Diese wünschen sich durchaus einen Präsidenten, der mit geschickter Politik die Spannungen mit der islamischen Welt abzubauen vermag. Das bedeutet jedoch nicht, dass Obama viel Spielraum besitzt, wo amerikanische Interessen im Kern betroffen sind.
Mehr Erfolg als Bush?
Die Kairoer Rede ist Teil einer Öffentlichkeitskampagne, die der Präsident gleich nach seiner Amtsübernahme lanciert hat. Sein erstes Interview, mit dem Sender al-Arabiya, der Neujahrsgruss ans iranische Volk, die Ansprache vor dem türkischen Parlament und nun der Auftritt am Nil dienten alle demselben Ziel - der Zuhörerschaft zu versichern, dass Amerika die Welt des Islams nicht als Feind betrachtet, sondern ihr mit Respekt begegnet. Völlig neuartig ist das nicht. Schon Bush hat islamische Würdenträger ins Weisse Haus eingeladen, die arabische Hochkultur gewürdigt, den Koran zitiert, Communiqués an die Iraner verschickt und eine Regierungsabteilung geschaffen, die nichts anderes tat, als im Ausland für ein besseres Image Amerikas zu werben. >>> Von Andreas Rüesch | Donnerstag, 04. Juni 2009
LE FIGARO: Fatah et Hamas saluent le changement de ton
REACTIONS - Le mouvement islamiste Hamas estime cependant que l'allocution au Caire de Barack Obama contenait de sérieuses «contradictions».
«Un bon début» selon l'Autorité palestienne. Le président américain a montré dans son discours qu'il y a une «politique américaine nouvelle et différente concernant la question palestinienne», a commenté jeudi un porte-parole du président de l'Autorité palestinienne Mahmoud Abbas. «C'est un discours clair et franc. Il constitue un pas politique innovateur et un bon début sur lequel il faudra bâtir».
Pour le Hamas, «un changement» mais «des contradictions». Le Hamas, le mouvement islamiste qui contrôle la bande de Gaza, a relevé jeudi «un changement tangible» dans le discours du président américain Barack Obama à l'adresse du monde musulman, mais également «des contradictions». «Une des contradictions réside dans le fait qu'il a dit que le Hamas était soutenu par le peuple palestinien mais il n'a pas appelé au respect de la légitimité du Hamas qui a été démocratiquement élu», a ainsi expliqué le porte-parole du mouvement islamiste, Fawzi Barhoum. «Aussi, il a parlé d'une nouvelle politique américaine mais il ne s'est pas excusé pour les politiques erronées qui ont détruit l'Irak et l'Afghanistan», a ajouté le porte-parole. >>> F.G. (lefigaro.fr) avec agences | Jeudi 04 juin 2009
LE FIGARO: Discours d'Obama : le Vatican satisfait
Le Vatican a "beaucoup apprécié" le discours du président américain Barack Obama aujourd'hui au Caire, qui pourrait contribuer à établir de "nouvelles relations avec le monde musulman", a déclaré le porte-parole du Vatican Federico Lombardi à l'agence Ansa.
"Le discours prononcé aujourd'hui par Obama est très significatif et peut être important pour établir de nouvelles relations entre les Etats-Unis et le monde musulman", a déclaré le Père Lombardi.
Le quotidien du Vatican, l'Osservatore Romano a de son côté souligné dans son édition parue ce soir que, "sans fermer les yeux face aux divergences et aux tensions, sans éviter les préjugés et les problèmes, Barack Hussein Obama a donné un nouveau départ aux relations entre les Etats-Unis et le monde musulman".
"Le premier président noir des Etats-Unis est allé au-delà des formules politiques, évoquant des intérêts communs concrets au nom d'une humanité partagée", ajoute l'Osservatore.
Dans un discours très attendu et présenté comme une étape marquante du début de sa présidence, M. Obama a plaidé aujourd'hui au Caire avec force pour une nouvelle donne entre les Etats-Unis et le monde musulman, en rupture avec l'ère de son prédécesseur George W. Bush. [Source: Le Figaro] AFP | Jeudi 04 Juin 2009
SAUDI GAZETTE: Saudis Happy About Obama Visit But Look for Action
RIYADH – Saudi cardiologist Osama Al-Amoudi praised President Barack Obama as the US leader visited the Kingdom, saying he believes the new president has made a good first impression and appreciates his overtures to Muslims.
But Al-Amoudi said it will take more than speeches and pleasantries to convince him that Obama is really serious about changing his country’s policies toward the Arab World and “mend the bad image” former president George W. Bush left in the minds of many Arabs about Americans.
Al-Amoudi’s words reflected the sentiments of many Saudis, who have a favorable view of Obama but are worried that he will not be able to deliver on his promises, especially those concerning the issue Arabs care about most: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict. >>> By Donna Abu-Nasr | Friday, June 05, 2009
CAIRO: US President Barack Obama made his long-awaited address to the Muslim world from the podium of Cairo University Thursday, triggering a standing ovation and chants of his name as he exited [sic] the grand hall.
The historic event was attended by an array of guests, including head of the Policies Secretariat of the ruling National Democratic Party Gamal Mubarak, Egyptian ministers, Muslim and Coptic clerics, representatives of diplomatic missions, and celebrities like comedian Adel Imam and Laila Elwi.
Before the speech he toured the Sultan Hassan Mosque and visited the Giza Pyramids after the speech. He flew to Germany at 6 pm.
In a speech which came in at just under an hour, Obama addressed a series of hot-button issues in the Muslim world including Iraq, Palestine, Iran, extremism and the negative stereotyping of Muslims.
Yet he began his speech by making clear that he came with the intent to achieve mutual reconciliation and step up cooperation.
“Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire … America is not — and never will be — at war with Islam. We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security,” he said.
The head of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights Hafez Abu Saeda told Daily News Egypt, “I see it as a historic speech, which will cement ties between the strongest country in the world and the Islamic world. It also made the distinction between Islam and terrorism,” a word which Obama steered clear of using.
Head of the Arab Socialist Party Waheed Al-Aqsari, however, was not so moved, telling Daily News Egypt, “Obama didn’t offer anything new, he came to improve America’s image in the Islamic world after the relationship deteriorated so severely during the Bush years.”
Obama then went into some detail regarding issues which are at the heart of American-Islamic relations and what the American position was concerning them, as well as admitting to mistakes the US made there.
On Iraq he said, “Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and around the world … 9/11 was an enormous trauma to our country. The fear and anger that it provoked was understandable, but in some cases, it led us to act contrary to our ideals.” >>> By Abdel-Rahman Hussein | Thursday, June 04, 2009
Obam’s Speech in Cairo
Barack Obama Wants 'New Beginning' for Islam and America
THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama has vowed to forge a "new beginning" for Islam and America in a landmark speech to global Muslims in Cairo, evoking a vision of peace after smouldering years of "suspicion and discord".
Barack Obama laid out a new blueprint for US Middle East policy, vowing to buckle mistrust, forge a state for Palestinians and defuse a nuclear showdown with Iran. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
In what may be a defining moment of his presidency, Mr Obama laid out a new blueprint for US Middle East policy, vowing to buckle mistrust, forge a state for Palestinians and defuse a nuclear showdown with Iran.
In the domed Great Hall of Cairo University, Mr Obama warned the US bond with Israel, the source of much Arab distrust of the United States, was unbreakable, and rejected "ignorant" rants by those who deny the Nazi Holocaust.
But, in a sharp break from the policies of his predecessor George W Bush, Mr Obama also rebuked Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to halt settlement expansion on the West Bank.
"I have come here to Cairo seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world," he said in a speech targetting the globe's 1.5 billion Muslims on television, the Internet and on social networking sites.
"So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace," said Mr Obama, who was greeted with a standing ovation as he stepped up to the podium.
Letting divides fester would "promote conflict rather than the co-operation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity," he added.
"This cycle of suspicion and discord must end," said the US president vowing to fight "negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.
"But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America," he said.
Quoting the region's three holy books, the Koran, the Torah and the Bible, he evoked a future of "mutual interest and mutual respect".
The US president, laying out a staggeringly ambitious foreign policy, to match the audacity of his sweeping domestic program, spoke directly, and without adornment on the chasms between America and global Muslims. >>> | Thursday, June 04, 2009
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama Speech: The Full Transcript
"I am honoured to be in the timeless city of Cairo, and to be hosted by two remarkable institutions. For over a thousand years, Al-Azhar has stood as a beacon of Islamic learning, and for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt's advancement. Together, you represent the harmony between tradition and progress. I am grateful for your hospitality, and the hospitality of the people of Egypt. I am also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: assalaamu alaykum.
We meet at a time of tension between the United States and Muslims around the world – tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate. The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of coexistence and co-operation, but also conflict and religious wars. More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalisation led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.
Violent extremists have exploited these tensions in a small but potent minority of Muslims. The attacks of September 11th, 2001 and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only to America and Western countries, but also to human rights. This has bred more fear and mistrust.
So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, and who promote conflict rather than the co-operation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. This cycle of suspicion and discord must end.
I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles – principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.
I do so recognising that change cannot happen overnight. No single speech can eradicate years of mistrust, nor can I answer in the time that I have all the complex questions that brought us to this point. But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly the things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors. There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground. As the Holy Koran tells us, "Be conscious of God and speak always the truth." That is what I will try to do – to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us, and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.
Part of this conviction is rooted in my own experience. I am a Christian, but my father came from a Kenyan family that includes generations of Muslims. As a boy, I spent several years in Indonesia and heard the call of the azaan at the break of dawn and the fall of dusk. As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith.
As a student of history, I also know civilisation's debt to Islam. It was Islam – at places like Al-Azhar University – that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe's Renaissance and Enlightenment. It was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing; our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality. >>> | Thursday, June 04, 2009
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD PHOTO GALLERY: Obama in Egypt: >>>
Monday, May 11, 2009
Egypt: State-owned Media Hail Obama's Upcoming Visit
Obama in the front and a Cairo mosque in the background. Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES TIMES: The Egyptian press on Sunday celebrated President Barack Obama’s decision to deliver his address to the Muslim world from Egypt, hailing the move as an American acknowledgment of this nation's regional clout.
“The selection of Cairo stresses the fact that . . . Egypt is the heart of both the Arab and Muslim worlds and is the voice of reason and wisdom that helped the region overcome crises," wrote Osama Saraya, editor in chief of the semi-official Ahram daily. "Egypt is still with its Arabism and Islamic thought the most influential force. Its flag is still the most capable of bringing all Arabs and Muslims together.”
"This is a continuing effort of the president to engage the Muslim world," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said. "The president has high hopes for a stronger relationship." Obama is expected to deliver his address on June 4. Some Muslim clerics have reportedly called upon the president to speak at al-Azhar, the oldest and most prestigious Sunni institution in the Muslim world. >>> Noha El-Hennawy in Cairo | Sunday, May 10, 2009
Transsexual’s Fight for Education Pits Egypt Law Against Islam
BLOOMBERG: To the Egyptian government, to her doctors, and especially to herself, Sally Mursi is a woman. To al-Azhar University, the most prestigious Islamic school in Egypt and the Middle East, she’s a man.
Twenty-one years ago, Mursi, 43, went through a sex-change operation as she was about to enter her fourth year at al-Azhar’s medical school, where classes are segregated by gender under Muslim traditions of piety. Al-Azhar officials expelled her, saying she couldn’t go to the men’s classes because she was impersonating a woman -- or to the women’s classes because she was actually a man.
Since then, al-Azhar has refused to abide by repeated court orders to readmit Mursi, filing appeals. The contest has become a battle between civil law and religious fiat, reflecting conflicting attitudes about sexuality in an increasingly pious country.
For Mursi, the struggle is a singular and lonely quest for self-worth as she challenges a major Islamic institution and copes with public curiosity.
“Mursi is suffering from being the first Egyptian transsexual to go public, combined with the fact that Egypt has not worked out the relation between state and religion,” said Hossam Baghat, 29, legal officer for the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, an independent civil-rights organization.
Two years ago, Ali Gomaa, al-Azhar’s top religious official, issued a decree describing Mursi as corrupt and unfit “to live among men or women.” The edict hit all the newspapers, with photos of Mursi as a belly dancer -- a job she took to make money after her expulsion. >>> By Daniel Williams | Monday, March 17, 2009
Organspenden sind nicht Islam-widrig: Fatwa des ägyptischen Gross-Scheichs Tantawi
NZZ Online: Der Gross-Scheich der Azhar-Universität in Kairo, Mohammed Tantawi, hat in einer Fatwa Stellung zur Frage bezogen, ob der Islam Obduktion und Organspenden gestattet. Er bejahte dies, erteilte aber dem kommerziellen Organhandel eine klare Absage.
ber. Kairo 16. März
Der Gross-Scheich der Azhar-Universität in Kairo, Mohammed Tantawi, hat sich zu den Themen Obduktion und Organverpflanzung geäussert. Der Gross-Scheich gilt als oberste religiöse Autorität Ägyptens und darüber hinaus des ganzen sunnitischen Islams. Seine Stellungnahme erlaubt eine Neufassung des geltenden ägyptischen Gesetzes gegen die Obduktion und den Organhandel. Laut Tantawi soll die Verpflanzung von Organen frisch Verstorbener, sofern es sich um eine Spende handelt, künftig gestattet werden. Lebende sollen allerdings nur Verwandten Organe zur Verfügung stellen dürfen. Tantawi möchte den kommerziellen Handel mit menschlichen Organen weiterhin verboten wissen, da dieser dem islamischen Recht widerspreche. >>> | Dienstag, 17, März 2009
The Vatican Condemns the Reprinting of the Cartoons of Prophet Muhammad!
TURKISH WEEKLY: CAIRO — The Vatican joined Al-Azhar, the highest seat of learning in the Sunni world, on Tuesday, February 26, in condemning the reprinting of a controversial cartoon of prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in Denmark.
"Both sides vehemently denounce the reprinting of the offensive cartoon and the attack on Islam and its prophet," officials from both religious bodies said in a statement seen by IslamOnline.net.
Concluding a two-day meeting of their joint interfaith committee in Cairo, the two sides also denounced any insult to any religion.
Seventeen Danish newspapers reprinted on Wednesday, February 13, a drawing of a man described as Prophet Muhammad with a ticking bomb in his turban.
The move came following the arrest of two Tunisians and a Dane of Moroccan origin for allegedly plotting to kill the cartoonist who had drew the caricature in 2005.
"We call for the respect of faiths, religious holy books and religious symbols," read the statement.
The two sides urged Muslim and Christian religious leaders, intellectuals and educators to instill such respect in society.
