Date of source: Thursday, May 30, 2013
The Islamist landscape in Egypt is often seen through the lens of two dominant groupings: The Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis, the latter of which have splintered into several smaller political parties. But Sunni Islam, lacking an organizational hierarchy, facilitates the emergence of...
Date of source: Saturday, May 18, 2013
Nizār Ghurāb, a lawyer from al-Jamā’ah al-Islāmīyyah, filed a report at the Council of State to demand the Azhar Fatwá Committee and the Ifta House (Dār al-Iftā’) to issue a fatwá prohibiting cartoonists from ridiculing the sanctity of Islam and Islamic law (Husayn ‘Umrān, al-Misrīyūn, May 18, p. 5...
Date of source: Monday, February 4, 2013
It is with great sadness that a number of venerate Muslim scholars see the retirement date of the Grand Shaykh of Dār al-Iftāꞌ comes closer. Having his term office extended in February 2011 for one more year, many of his students and colleagues had asked for a further extension taking into account...
Date of source: Tuesday, January 15, 2013
An article in the English The Telegraph on Jan. 13 said that the number of Coptic Churches in the United States has grown from four churches to 200 in 40 years. There are so many Coptic refugees from Egypt fleeing, if they can, to the United States that some Coptic Churches have had to be extended...
Date of source: Tuesday, February 12, 2013
For the first time in the history of the Catholic Church, the Vatican Pope Benedict XVI announced on February 11 that he will resign as pope on February 28, 2013. Below is the full text of Pope Benedict XVI’s declaration, as presented on the Vatican website:
Date of source: Saturday, February 2, 2013
Political forces confirmed their commitment to national dialogue by signing of the Azhar document that renounces violence. The National Salvation Front (SNF), Egypt’s largest opposition bloc, has confirmed that the document is a voice of conscience that emerged with the support of the Grand Shaykh...
Date of source: Sunday, February 10, 2013
Azhar Senior Scholars will convene an emergency meeting tomorrow (February 11), headed by Grand Shaykh of the Azhar Ahmad al-Tayyīb, to choose a new Muftī of the Republic to replace Dr. 'Alī Jum'ah. whose mandate will end in March 2013. A number of 25 professors of the Azhar have nominated...
Date of source: Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The popular image of Salafī Muslims in Egypt is of a lower-class, older generation, perhaps limited in educational achievement. This is not their fault, many might patronizingly sympathize, as President Mubarak is blamed for letting the school system rot to keep the population ignorant, poor, and...
Date of source: Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II has confirmed his support for the Azhar document, which was adopted to renounce the violence and political differences dominating society (Mamdūh Thābit and Sahar Hamdānī, al-Misrī al-Yawm, Feb. 6, p. 4). Read original text in Arabic
Date of source: Wednesday, January 30, 2013
The Cairo Criminal Court has sentenced seven Copts to death in absentia for insulting Prophet Muhammad, defaming Islam, and harming Egyptian national unity. The capital punishment decision, which must be reviewed, has been approved by the Muftī of the Republic Egypt.
The pro-Islamist newspaper,...