[Reviewer’s Note: Article II of the Egyptian Constitution of 1971 reads, “Islam is the official religion of the state, Arabic its official language and the principles of Islamic sharī’ah are the main source of legislation”. Salafists sought removing the word ‘principles’ or replacing it with the word ‘rulings’]
“The Azhar’s calls to abolish the paragraph about being the reference on interpretation of the Islamic sharī’ah and keep Article II as stated in the 1971 Constitution have let down the salafists and Islamists elected by the people to defend the sharī’ah,” al-Asālah (Authenticity) leader ‘Ādil ‘Afīfī said in a statement.
He urged members of the constituent assembly not to heed the calls of the Grand Shaykh of the Azhar, adding the Azhar is “not the possession of anyone and it will remain a respectable institution with its senior honorable scholars”.
Al-Nūr (Light) Party also reiterated calls for removing the word “principles” from the text of Article II and replacing it with the word “rulings”.
“All representatives of the Azhar on the constitution-drafting assembly agreed without reservations to have the Azhar as the ultimate reference for the interpretation of the sharī’ah. We have been shocked lately that the Grand Shaykh of the Azhar sought the omission of the text and to return to the text of Article II as stated in the 1971 Constitution,” said Shaykh Yūnis Makhyūn, the representative of al-Nūr in the panel.
He said pressures have apparently been practiced on the Azhar by secularists and liberals to reverse the agreement reached, adding there are hectic attempts now to throw a spanner in the works of the assembly.
Grand Shaykh Dr. Ahmad al-Tayīb had appealed to the Azhar’s representatives in the constituent assembly to submit a request at the panel’s proposals & complaints committee to annul the paragraph regarding the Azhar being the reference for the interpretation of the principles of the sharī’ah and keep the 1971 text unchanged. [Muhammad ‘Anaz, al-Ahrām, July 22, p. 4] Read original text in Arabic
