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| Nour Party: Azhar to have final say on Islamic Sharia in constitution |
| 2013-09-16 |
| [Al Ahram] In an abrupt change from its earlier radical position, the ultra-conservative Islamist Salafist Nour Party announced it would welcome the Sunni Islamic institute of Al-Azhar having the final say on whether "Islamic identity articles" are included in Egypt's post-30 June constitution or not. By "identity articles," the Nour party means Islamic Sharia articles, drafted by the Islamist-dominated constituent assembly in 2012, including controversial article 219. Article 219 states: "The principles of Islamic Sharia include its commonly accepted interpretations, its fundamental and jurisprudential rules and it's widely considered sources, as stated by the schools of Sunna and Gamaa." Critics of the article say it leaves the door open for discrimination against non-Sunni minorities. The Nour party's chairman, Younis Makhioun, said he - and representatives of other political parties - attended Sunday's meeting with interim-President Adli Mansour to discuss Egypt's post-30 June political roadmap. Ahead of the meeting, Makhioun said the Nour party is keen to see a settlement reached regarding disputed articles, through negotiations among all political forces and factions. The Nour party's new position represents a shift from earlier statements, emphasising that "the party would not accept that article 219 -- and other Islamic identity articles -- be eliminated from the new constitution." Representatives of Al-Azhar said they are against any articles aimed at turning Egypt into a religious state. Mohamed Abdel-Salam, chairman of the State and Foundational Principles Committee and legal advisor to the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, said "some imams in the last period have highly distorted the image of Islam and all should know that Islam rejects a religious state." |
| Posted by:Fred |