Date of source: Saturday, March 16, 2002
The latest fatwa of Sheikh Atiya Saqr that forbids shaking hands between men and women is a return to the dogmatic opinions that preceded the explosion of terrorism in Egypt. The author wondered how could Egypt fight terrorism without fighting such strange beliefs that create the atmosphere for the...
Date of source: Saturday, March 16, 2002
Many Azhar professors said that shaking hands between women and men is not haram as long as the people involved in the handshake do not have bad intentions of lust or desire. Dr. Abdel-Mo’ti Bayoumi criticized the way Sheikh Atiya Saqr follows in interpreting hadiths. He said that Sheikh Saqr...
Date of source: Saturday, March 9, 2002
Sheikh Attiya Saqr issued a fatwa to the effect that shaking hands between men and women is haram [religiously forbidden], as men touches the hands of women with the aim of satisfying their desires. Some Azhar professors and Islamic thinkers believed the fatwa to be strange and extremist.
Date of source: Saturday, February 16, 2002
Religious laws do not determine or command the formation of a nation in a political sense. The concept of political nation, as understood today, is not mentioned in the Qur’an. After the reign of the Orthodox Caliphs, people who wanted power and authority started using Qur’anic verses to find a...
Date of source: Monday, December 16, 2002
The author criticizes some of the points Tareq Heqi brings up in his letter. She disagrees with him that Copts are the original inhabitants of Egypt and that Arabs existence in Andalus [Spain] was no more than the French occupation of Algeria. She criticizes him for supporting America’s attacks on...
Date of source: Wednesday, January 9, 2002
The tragedy of Muslim societies is that religion is not separated from life, in a way that serves human progress nor is it part of life, in a way that makes of religion an intellectual and enlightened energy against whatever suppresses man, whether political or economic or religious authorities.
Date of source: Saturday, December 21, 2002
The author believes that Muslims should reevaluate their understanding and practice of Islam. He believes the reason for their defeat in many fields is because they judge everything through the eyes of Islam. Confessing defeat and accepting criticism would be a sincere beginning towards victory.
Date of source: Saturday, January 19, 2002
Eight members of an organization have been accused of disseminating extremist thoughts based on distorting the Islamic religion and opposing its teachings. These thoughts deny all practices of pilgrimage. They also claim that real fasting should be practiced in the month of Sha’ban instead of the...
Date of source: Saturday, May 14, 2005
The niqāb has been misused recently as a cover for a suicide attack. Hence its banning has become a security necessity to protect the nation regardless of what the extremists say about it being a religious duty.
Date of source: Friday, May 13, 2005
Grand Imam of the Azhar, Shaykh Muhammad Sayyid Tantāwī, said if a woman wore the niqāb to cover her face with the aim of committing a murder or intimidating the innocent civilians, God would double her punishment because in this case she is like a hypocrite that pretends piety while concealing...