Egypt's El-Sisi Boldly Calls For Islamic Reformation

Source:
clarionproject
Date of source:
2 Jan 2014
Reference:
General El-Sisi, the commander of the Egyptian Armed Forces and current head of
state, is essentially calling for a reformation in Islam. His bold declaration comes as the
Egyptian people approved a constitution in a vote that the Muslim Brotherhood
boycotted.
The speech, which went unnoticed in the Western media, took place at the Armed
Forces’ Department of Moral Affairs. In the speech, El-Sisi said:
“Religious discourse is the greatest battle and challenge facing the Egyptian people,
pointing to the need for a new vision and a modern, comprehensive understanding of
the religion of Islam—rather than relying on a discourse that has not changed for 800
years.”
Notice what El-Sisi did not say. He did not say Zionism or Western oppression is the
greatest threat to Egypt, nor did he point to a specific group like Al-Qaeda or the
Muslim Brotherhood. He accurately framed the struggle as an ideological one within
Islam.
When he refers to the “discourse that has not changed for 800 years,” he’s referring to
when the most qualified Islamic scholars of that time ruled that all questions about
interpretation had been settled. The “gates” of ijtihad, the independent interpretation of
Islam, ended by the year 1258. He wants the “gates” reopened, allowing for the critical
examination that an Islamic reformation needs.
Elsewhere in the speech, Sisi “called on all who follow the true Islam to improve the
image of this religion in front of the world, after Islam has been for decades convicted
of violence and destruction around the world, due to the crimes falsely committed in the
name of Islam.”
This is another important declaration. He attributes Islamic extremism to this lack of
discourse. He doesn’t blame it on a Jewish conspiracy to defame Islam or describe it
as an overreaction to non-Muslim aggression.
He is also pre-empting the Islamists’ inevitable attack that he is an apostate by stating
that Muslims are advancing Islam by having this discourse and turning away from violence. He takes away the argument from extremists that they are the model of a
devout Muslim.
The next question is whether El-Sisi has the standing in Muslim opinion to be listened
to. For now, the answer is yes. The Egyptian military that he leads has a 70%
favorability rating, while the Muslim Brotherhood’s rating is at 34%. He is almost certain
to run for president and, at this stage, is likely to win.
When the military toppled President Morsi and El-Sisi announced the suspension of the
Islamist-written constitution, he was joined by the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar University,
an institution that is basically the equivalent of the Vatican for Sunni Islam. To date,
Al-Azhar has not broken with El-Sisi or condemned his remarks.
Other influential Egyptians may endorse El-Sisi’s view. In January 2011, former
Egyptian Islamist Tawfik Hamid reported that 25 Islamic scholars, including teachers
from Al-Azhar, said that ijtihad needed to be resumed. The 10 points they listed for
renewed examination included the separation of mosque and state, women’s rights,
relations with non-Muslims and jihad.
Calls for reform and ijtihad can be heard beneath the visible surface of the Muslim
world. In my own experience, I’ve heard many average Muslims endorse reformation
but their views are not reflected in the national leadership.
Some of these reformist Muslims want to reopen the “gates” of ijtihad, while others say
they never considered them closed to begin with. For example, Tunisian professor Dr.
Muhamd El-Haddad, argues, “Daily life has evolved radically since the last millennium,
but there has been no accompanying development in mainstream Muslim legal theory.”
Professor Ziauddin Sadar of London wrote in 2002 that that Islamic doctrine is “frozen
in time” and there are three doctrinal pillars that need reform: “The elevation of the
Shari’ah to the level of the Divine, with the consequent removal of agency from the
believers, and the equation of Islam with the State.”
Those that argue that the “gates” were never closed include Malcolm Jardine, who
wrote a thoroughly-researched essay on the topic. In 2006, the U.S.-based Nawawi
Foundation published a study by Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah with the premise that Islam
“never had a doorkeeper to close it in the first place.”
General El-Sisi and the overall backlash against the Islamists may spark what the
world needs most: An Islamic reformation. It is not enough to topple Islamists. Their
ideological underpinning must be debated and defeated. The determinations of
scholars from 800 years can no longer be treated as eternal truth, but for what they
really are—opinions influenced by the times in which they were made.