The Constitution

The representatives of Al-Azhar and the Churches in the Constituent Assembly have met on September 23 to try to reach an agreement on articles on which they have disagreed. Father Safwāt al-Bayādī stated that there was no agreement on the third article. While the Azhar representatives wanted to keep it in its current format, the Churches representatives saw that it was necessary to replace “Christians and Jews” with the word “non-Muslims”. [Translator’s note: The article prior to amendment reads: “The canon principles of Christians and Jews are the main source of legislation for their personal status laws, religious affairs, and the selection of their spiritual leaders.”]

The representative of the Nūr Party in the Constituent Assembly, Muhammad Ibrahīm Mansūr, stated that amending the article “leaves the door open, to those who are self-proclaimed prophets to request special laws for themselves in the parliament, which may lead the country to implode” (Walā’ Ni’mah Allah, Muhammad Yūsif, Hibā Amīn, Muhammad Hamdī, al-Watan, Sept. 24, p. 3). Read original text in Arabic.