Controversial Fatwas
Egypt is not only facing a period of political but also of religious polarization. Many religious scholars issue Fatwas that have a political meaning and some of them are almost inciting fights and vandalism.
Egyptians saw most of the Fatwas that provoked conflicts during the reign of ousted President Muhammad Mursī and after he was overthrown on July 3rd 2013.
Shaykh Hāshim Islām, member of the Fatwa Council of al-Azhar and President of the al-Ittihād al-'Ālamī li-'Ulamā' al-Azhar (World Union of al-Azhar Scholars), decided in a fatwá allowing the shedding of the blood of demonstrators who demanded Mursī's downfall on August 24th 2012. He said that this is considered a counter force to the Revolution of January 25th of democracy and freedom and that those who go on the streets are demonstrating against this revolution.
Dr. 'Ālī Jum'ā, former Grand Mufti of Egypt and member of the Hay'a Kibār al-'Ulamā' bil-Azhar (Supreme Azhar Scholars Board), issued a Fatwá on August 18th 2013 concerning protesters in support of ousted President Mursī who were killed by security officials. In front of Minister of Defense 'Abd al-Fattāh al-Sīsī, Minister of Interior Muhammad Ibrāhīm and police as well as army officials he said "blessedness on those who killed them. We have to clean our country from these riffraff."
After the overthrow of Mursī, Shaykh Hāshim Islām declared Mursī's trial unlawful in a fatwa and said that he is still the legitimate president.
On December 26th 2013, Dr. Ahmad Karīma, professor of Sharī'a (translator's note: Islamic Law) at the al-Azhar University, issued a Fatwa in favor of killing members of the Muslim Brotherhood after he had compared them with the descendants of the Khawārij who had killed 'Othmān Ibn 'Affān, third of the four rightly guided Caliphs. He said that they do not value the religion and that the Prophet Muhammad had warned against people like them.
Dr. Yūsuf al-Qaradāwī, president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, decided on the day before the referendum on the constitution, which took place on January 15th, 2014, that participation in it was prohibited. He said that those who are supporting what he called the revolutionary power is cooperating with the evil and with hostility. He also said that the constitution would be invalid.
The Kuwaiti newspaper "al-Watan" published a fatwá by Dr. 'Ajīl al-Nashimī, president of the Rābita 'Ulamā' al-Sharī'a (Association of Scholars of Islamic Law) in the Gulf states, on January 6th 2014 calling Field Marshal and Minister of Defense 'Abd al-Fattāh al-Sīsī a despot whose throat has to be cut. This fatwá came in reaction to another Kuwaiti fatwá stating the legitimacy of his rule over Egypt.
Mazhar Shāhin, Imam of the 'Omar Makram Mosque in Cairo, called in a fatwá issued on January 30th 2014 allowing husbands to divorce their wives who are members of the Muslim Brotherhood. He said that the interests of the state and the religion are more important than personal interests.
On February 6th 2014, Dr. Sa'ad al-Dīn al-Halālī, professor of comparative Fiqh (translator's note: Islamic jurisprudence) at the Institute of Sharī'a and Law of al-Azhar University compared Field Marshal 'Abd al-Fattāh al-Sīsī, Minister of Defense, and Muhammad Ibrāhīm, Minister of Interior, to the two prophets Aaron and Moses. He said "God sent the two men like he sent Moses and Aaron before"(Fathī Majdī, al-Masriyūn, Feb. 17, p. 4.) Read original text in Arabic.
