In a press interview held with Reuter’s news agency, the Grand Muftī of Egypt, Shaykh ‘Alī Jum’ah, stated that the recent calls to institute a committee for the “promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice” is sort of idiotic thinking that seeks to further destabilize an already tense situation in Egypt.

He added that the people of Egypt do not any type of invasive policing. Furthermore, these self-proclaimed scholars and untrained amateurs who attempt to issue fatwás are not to be regarded as authentic scholars. Their fatwás are more like unscholarly statements made according to their whims and desires and have no weight in the legal science of fatwá. The events of the past year, indeed of the past two years, underscore the absolute necessity of maintaining national unity in Egypt. It is no secret that Egyptian Christians have been made to feel uncomfortable since the Muslim Brotherhood took hold of power in the country. I also took the occasion to clarify that wishing Christians well on their festivities is a verbal expression of the desire to promote peaceful and harmonious relations, and Muslims and Christians alike are encouraged to transform sentiments of solidarity into true unity for the sake of the welfare of Egypt, and not in the interests of individual advancement or sectarian gain.

Shaykh ‘Alī Jum’ah added, that Islamic law guarantees freedom of conscience and expression within the bounds of common decency and equal rights for women. He stated that the Azhar is committed to these values and its humane tradition of learning and service remains the only safeguard for a tolerant and moderate Egypt. Islam will have a place in Egypt’s democracy, as its principles are based on the provision of tolerance and harmony, and should never be misused as a means of oppression. [Hālah Amīn, Al-Sabāh, Jan. 10, p. 3] Read original text in Arabic